Loudoun Now for Feb. 23, 2017 by Loudoun Now

LoudounNow LOUDOUN COUNTY’S COMMUNITY-OWNED NEWS SOURCE

[ Vol. 2, No. 16 ]

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Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017 ]

New life coming to Loudoun’s decadeold town center

Hemstreet Proposes $2.5B Budget, Lower Tax Bills BY RENSS GREENE County Administrator Tim Hemstreet has given the Board of Supervisors a starting point on budget deliberations that adds 176 full-time equivalent jobs and all but guarantees a cut to the real estate tax rate. The $2.5 billion budget comes after years of tight revenues, and Hemstreet and his staff recommend knocking a penny off the real estate tax rate to $1.135 per $100 of assessed value. In fact, the county has only advertised a rate of $1.14 in public notices, a half-penny below the current rate, meaning the board would have to start that process over and advertise at a higher rate to even match the current tax rate. The proposed $1.135 rate is also a half-penny below the equalized rate, meaning that on average—if supervisors stick to that rate—homeowners can expect tax bill dollar figures to shrink even as their houses have appreciated in value. After Hemstreet’s Feb. 15 budget presentation, County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) said Loudoun was remarkable in large part because of county government staffers who often work “without ever having their names said, without ever being known.” The county stands to have a lot more of those staff members, as Hemstreet has proposed 176.09 new full-time equivalent positions, a budgeting method to measure the equivalent of a full-time job divided among full- and part-time positions. Many of those positions are needed to fully staff new facilities opening next fiscal year, including 68 FTEs for Parks and Recreation at the Dulles South Multipurpose Centers; 40 FTEs for Fire and Rescue at the Kirkpatrick Farms station; and 35 FTEs at the Brambleton Library. BUDGET >> 10

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

A single blue ribbon marks the Lansdowne intersection where 5-month-old Tristan Schulz lost his life almost six months ago. The collection of flowers, cards, and candles has been removed, but supporters want to install a permanent memorial near the site.

Community Seeks Permanent Memorial for Baby Tristan BY DANIELLE NADLER

any Lansdowne area residents were surprised to discover last week that the community-built memorial for the 5-month-old boy who was hit and killed in the intersection in August had been taken down. The Lansdowne on the Potomac Homeowners Association board voted to remove the memorial—a display of cards, flowers, balloons and a small wooden cross that has been there since Aug. 31. That morning, baby Tristan Schulz was in a stroller being pushed by his mother through the Riverside Parkway and Coton Manor Drive intersection when he was struck and killed. His mother, Mindy Schulz, was hospitalized for several days but survived the incident. In the five months since, people have left gifts at the foot of the Riverside Parkway traffic light. In October, passersby left

! LE W A O S N N O

pumpkins. In December, a Christmas tree, dotted with ornaments, appeared. Last week, people left Valentine’s Day cards. “It’s really been an organic thing, driven by the community,” said Candy Baracat-Donovan who drives past the Riverside Parkway-Coton Manor Drive intersection daily from her home in Edwards Landing. She has left cards, flowers, candles and, at Christmas, hung ornaments on the tree. There’s been an outpouring of support for the Schulz family, and the memorial is one way for people to demonstrate that support and remember baby Tristan, Baracat-Donovan said. Three people spoke during the public comment portion of the HOA’s Feb. 13 meeting, each opposed keeping the memorial in place, according to Skip Davis, the community’s general manager. “The board found themselves in a corner. They didn’t want to appear unsympathetic,” but ultimately, board members had to vote to remove it after receiving complaints from a number of people, Davis said.

“It’s not a decision that they wanted to make, I can tell you that,” he said, estimating that Lansdowne residents are evenly split on whether to keep the memorial in place. “It’s not as simple as everyone wanted to make it.” Supporters of the Schulz family had asked for permission from the HOA for a permanent memorial, like a bench or engraved stone, to be installed near the intersection. They said HOA board members initially agreed to the idea. But Davis said last week that three different parties control that sliver of land—Virginia Department of Transportation, the Lansdowne Conservancy, and the Lansdowne on the Potomac HOA. Now, community members are working to get a more permanent memorial in place, through a Virginia Department of Transportation program that authorizes roadside signs remembering loved ones be placed for up to two years.

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Red Cross Marks 100 Years of Service in Loudoun

tennial anniversary as a chance to highlight all that Red Cross staff and volunteers do to help their neighbors. Too often people think the organization only

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ Rapid population growth has forced county leaders to hire more career firefighters to keep pace with the surge in emergency calls, but volunteers still have important roles to play when their neighbors are in need.

The leaders of Loudoun’s volunteer fire-rescue companies have grown more creative in their efforts to recruit and retain volunteers. That’s especially true at the county’s longest serving department, the Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company. When Chief Jim Cook first joined the department’s ranks 13 years ago, it av-

Board awards $51M school project

Top chef’s new food venture gets rolling

steps in during national and global disasters, he said. “But we’re here, supportRED CROSS >> 13 eraged between 1,200 and 1,300 calls a year. Much has changed. “The call volume has gone through the roof,” he said. “Last year, we were just shy of 2,500 calls a year. We’re going to be probably around 2,500 to 2,800 calls this year.” Not surprisingly, that surge in calls can be directly paralleled to the surge in population both in town and around its borders. Cook points to an independent study undertaken by the fire company last summer that estimated that Loudoun County is adding 33 residents each day. For the fire company, that equates to about eight new houses per day that may, at one time or another, need its services. And that growth has brought changes for the town’s fire company. Gone are the days where volunteer firefighters could rest at home and “haul butt to the station” when a call went out, Cook said, noting the increased call volume and a greater public expectation of low response times. Now, all staffing, both career and volunteer, is run out of either of the company’s two stations on Plaza or Loudoun streets. And both of the stations have needs of their own to keep up with the demands of the community. The Plaza Street station is embarkFIRE COMPANY >> 43

INDEX Loudoun Gov..................... 4 Leesburg........................... 8 Public Safety................... 12 Education........................ 14 Biz.................................. 18 Our Towns....................... 24 Nonprofit......................... 26 LoCo Living..................... 30 Obituaries....................... 36 Classifieds...................... 37 Opinion........................... 40

loudounnow.com

As Calls Surge, Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company Retools for Future

Teens indicted in Ashburn stabbing

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Jim Cook, chief of Loudoun County’s longest serving department, Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company, wants to attract more volunteer firefighters to the job.

Pennington garage construction starts soon

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Erwin Stierle, executive director of American Red Cross for Loudoun and Prince William counties, and Carol Barbe, former Red Cross executive director who now serves on its Loudoun County Leadership Council, look over historic documents that tell the story of the organization’s century of service in the county. In the foreground is a letter from Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross in 1881.

County to push eminent domain

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

hen an apartment fire in Ashburn two weeks ago displaced families from nine apartments, Loudoun’s longest serving human services organization did what it does best. As fire and rescue crews from 10 different stations fought the blaze that climbed up the two-story Brae Terrace apartment complex, volunteers from the local chapter of American Red Cross hurried to the scene and got to work. They gave five families gift cards and other financial assistance to cover three nights in a hotel, as well as new clothes, food and prescription medications that had been lost in the fire. They delivered stuffed animals for the parents to give to their children, offered ongoing mental health support and coordinated with insurance companies. That’s a glimpse of what Red Cross, fueled by volunteers and donations, has done in Loudoun County now for 100 years. “It’s filling a tremendous role for a family when they are having the worst day of their life,” Loudoun Fire-Rescue Chief W. Keith Brower Jr. said of Red Cross’ work in the county. March 9 will mark a full century of Red Cross’ service in Loudoun. The organization will host A Century of Service celebration that evening at the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department (see details below). Over the decades, the organization has become one of the first emergency responders call when people need help beyond the immediate tragedy. But it also offers regular support to military families, runs blood drives and provides low-cost CPR, first aid and babysitter training. Erwin Stierle, executive director of American Red Cross for Loudoun and Prince William counties, sees the cen-

3 Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

BY DANIELLE NADLER

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

Construction continues at the intersection of Route 7 and Belmont Ridge Road.

County to Press Eminent Domain in Cost-Saving Effort BY RENSS GREENE

oudoun’s Transportation and Capital Infrastructure staff members are going to be getting more aggressive with eminent domain in roadway projects in an effort to get costs down and projects done sooner. The department’s new procedure means it will start acquiring rights-ofway earlier during the design process and be prepared to move ahead with eminent domain when negotiations stall. “It is vital for a roadway project that we have that in the toolbox,” said Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure Deputy Director Khattab Shammout. “We’re going to do the best we can to acquire property through voluntary means, but in order to manage a

project and to manage the right-of-way phase, we need to define that phase.” Shammout said the county staff will now begin considering taking the land through eminent domain if voluntary negotiations are not moving forward. The staff will come to the Board of Supervisors to authorize advertising and moving forward in the Circuit Court with condemnation procedures, including the quick take option that allows the government to take ownership of the land or easement and then have the court settle on the acquisition price later. The Virginia Department of Transportation uses a similar process in its own road projects. County staff members estimate the revised procedure could save the county six to 12 months on road projects. Finance committee Chairman Mat-

thew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles) said the new policy is in part to stop property owners along planned routes from manipulating the right-of-way acquisition process to overcharge the county. “Property owners don’t believe that the county has the wherewithal to actually proceed with the quick take and take property, and they try to run the clock out on us,” Letourneau said. He said property owners have stalled negotiations or been unresponsive as a way to get more money out of the county: “Time is their friend, and they know it’s our enemy, because the longer these things take, the more costs go up, and eventually we end up overpaying if we want to resolve these, and that’s what we’ve had to do a few times, and I am sick and tired of it.” Shammout said the county’s customary process for building roads is based

on the model DTCI used for building other capital facilities, such as community centers. “For a facility or for a land development, right-of-way is usually available, purchased, donated, it’s there, and we are designing to fit that parcel” Shammout said. “However, for transportation projects, usually that’s not a luxury we have.” “The land owner is still compensated, it’s set by a third party. We present our case, they present theirs, but in the meantime we’re allowed to proceed and the time has come for us to do that,” Letourneau said. “We simply can’t afford to sit around and get played around with for months and months on these critical projects, because it’s costing the taxpayers money.” rgreene@loudounnow.com

Finance Committee Recommends More Money for 11 Nonprofits BY RENSS GREENE As Loudoun supervisors work to revise how the county allocates nonprofit grant funding, their finance committee has recommended distributing the $51,274 that it put on hold in July. If the full board approves the committee’s recommendation, the money would be divided evenly among 11 nonprofits that scored in the top third of applicants under a ranking system the county is currently working to replace. Each nonprofit would receive $4,661 on top of its previous fiscal year 2017 contribution. The nonprofits to receive additional

funding include Loudoun Cares for a total of $89,661; Leesburg Abused Women’s Shelter, $84,020; Loudoun Hunger Relief, formerly known as Loudoun Interfaith Relief, $54,260; OAR of Fairfax, $9661; Catholic Charities Diocese of Arlington, $9,911; A Place to Be, $10,558; Brain Injury Services, $21,787; Capital Hospice, known as Capital Caring, $17,045; INMED Partnerships for Children, $56,673; Loudoun Volunteer Caregivers, $41,396; and Northern Virginia Family Service, $13,506. County staff members say an ongoNONPROFITS >> 7

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

People wait in line for bags of food at Loudoun Hunger Relief, one of the charities that received additional money from the county.

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Loudoun Commissioner of the Revenue Robert S. Wertz Jr. has scheduled free information sessions to familiarize residents with the eligibility criteria for the county’s generous real estate tax relief program. Homeowners age 65 or older or with disabilities who qualify below established income and wealth limits may benefit from a reduction in the amount of property taxes they pay. Qualified applicants for real estate tax relief must have a gross combined income less than $72,000, and net worth less than $440,000. Up to $10,000 in income of a spouse or relative residing in the home is excluded from the income calculation. Program participants saved more than $8 million in real estate taxes in tax year 2016. The meetings will be held Tuesday, Feb. 28, 10:30 a.m. at Ashburn Library; Wednesday, March 1, 10:30 a.m. at Cascades Library; Thursday, March 2, 10:30 a.m. at Rust Library; and Thursday, March 9, 10:30 a.m. at Purcellville Library. More information and application 1 2/14/17 PM can be found1:56 at loudoun.gov/taxrelief.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

As construction nears completion on the new Sterling Library, the Loudoun Arts Council has launched a public fundraising campaign to help continue a popular tradition. Joan Gardiner, known as a storyteller through ceramics, has been commissioned to create a locally inspired art mural for the new library. “Journeys to Sterling” is Gardiner’s vision for the mural, which will represent the community through clay tiles inspired by photos of actual residents, and through colorful depictions of the travels many have made to arrive in the Sterling area. Gardiner’s work also is featured Rust Library in Leesburg, Purcellville Library, Gum Spring Library and Franklin Park Arts Center. The Loudoun Arts Council is running a GoFundMe fundraising effort for the Sterling project. The mural has partial funding from public sources, but won’t go forward without community support, said Arts Council President Jill Evans-Kavaldjian. “Joan’s creativity brings delight to the communities she serves, and her signature works at other Loudoun library branches are well-loved and appreciated. We want to help do the same for the Sterling community at their new library, which opens April 15,” she said. 2.16.17 Avie LN HalfPg (CS Seminar).pdf The GoFundMe project includes

four levels of giving incentives for the project. Top-level donors will be acknowledged with custom project tiles itself. For more information go to gofundme.com/sterlinglibrary.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Gardiner Commissioned for Sterling Library Mural

loudounnow.com

Eagletree Vineyards Approved for Restaurant, Banquet Center BY RENSS GREENE Plans for a new vineyard on Harrison Hill Lane near Lucketts are moving ahead with county board approval for a small restaurant and an events center on the property. Jeffrey Judge and Lori McKeever’s plans to open Eagletree Farm & Vineyard, including a restaurant with up to 40 patrons and a banquet center with space for up to 100. Attorney Frank Stearns, representing Eagletree, said the restaurant would be “very exclusive,” requiring reservations and featuring the work of Judge, a Le Cordon Bleu chef. The two previously ran McKeever’s Pub in McLean. Public comment in support of Eagletree’s plans during a Feb. 15 public hearing turned into a general referendum in support of growing Loudoun’s rural economy. Weatherlea Farm and Vineyard owner and Rural Economic Development Council member Malcom Baldwin told supervisors Judge and McKeever “have been significant contributors to Loudoun County’s rural economy and to the winegrowers association.” Supervisors were also supportive of the application, waving off county planners’ concern about a request to reduce the setback requirement. “The best way to ensure the rural, historic and scenic future of western Loudoun for generations to come is by having a strong rural economy,” said Supervisor Tony R. Buffington Jr.

(R-Blue Ridge), repeating a common refrain among supervisors and supporters of rural businesses. Supervisor Suzanne M. Volpe (R-Algonkian) joked that she looks forward to “that time when my husband has made me really mad, when he has to take me to that exclusive restaurant where only 40 people can be.” “The prior board worked really hard to give additional resources to the Department of Economic Development and to try and focus on trying to get a growing and thriving rural economy going, so we appreciate every applicant such as yourselves that comes forward and says, ‘I want to be another piece of the fabric of the rural economy,’” Volpe said. The property is bordered by Lost Creek Vineyard, White’s Ford Regional Park, a home, and undeveloped residential lots and a farm that is in the process of being subdivided into residential lots. The requested parking setback reduction cuts the distance from the property line from 100 feet to 30; however, McKeever and Judge live on the adjoining parcel. One of the conditions of approval named in the board’s unanimous vote requires a boundary line adjustment between the two parcels to bring the parking setback back into compliance prior to the approval of any site plans.

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Shortly after a baby boy was killed at the intersection of Riverside Parkway and Coton Manor Drive, community members created a makeshift memorial.

Memorial << FROM 1 Lansdowne resident Elizabeth Jackson Freeman and her husband led the effort to adopt Riverside Parkway in Tristan’s memory, as part of the Adopt-a-Highway program, and recently submitted the memorial application to VDOT. She said the state transportation department has been “very compassionate and gracious,” and has approved the sign, which will read “Drive Safely … in memory of Tristan Beckett Schulz.” “We’re trying to do everything we can to have Tristan’s memory preserved,” Freeman said.

Freeman did not know the Schulz family before the tragedy, but Rod and Mindy Schulz reached out to her after she placed a decorated tree at Christmas at the Riverside-Coton Manor intersection. “I don’t have to know somebody to show compassion,” she said. “Compassion and kindness, I think it just always matters.” A Leesburg man faces criminal charges in the incident, including one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of reckless driving, and one count of failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. John Miller IV, 45, is scheduled for a 15day trial in October . dnadler@loudounnow.com

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ing nonprofit needs assessment will help the county decide how to revise its grant funding system. They also recommended spending the unallocated $51,274 to expand the scope of the needs assessment. The finance committee balked at the suggestion. “When the board decided to do the study, it was for a certain amount of money, and the $51,000 was supposed to go to nonprofits,” said finance committee Chairman Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles). “I tend to think if we wanted to expand the scope of the study, then we can have that discussion, but we should fund it a different way.” County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall (D-At Large) agreed, telling the staff she’d asked about the $51,000 several times before and never heard it could go to the study instead of nonprofits. Randall was also critical of the current system’s inclusion of literacy training under the “Recreation and Culture” area of need, which receives 5 percent of grant allocations, the lowest of any of the five categories into which nonprofits are currently divided. “I’m not sure that I would consider

literacy recreation and culture,” Randall said. “I think literacy is an absolute need.” The current grant funding system ranks nonprofits in five categories into top, middle, and bottom tiers. Those nonprofits are then allocated money based on the previous year, with grants increasing or decreasing by 5 percent for those in the top and bottom third, and level funding for those in the middle third. That system was created to depoliticize nonprofit grant funding decisions, but has been criticized for merely cementing the funding levels it inherited and preventing first-year grant applicants from receiving more than $5,000. County staff members and supervisors have talked about the possibility of a result-based decision and a fresh start disregarding how much the organizations received in previous years. The nonprofit needs assessment is not expected to be complete before fall of 2018, meaning it will not be available for budget talks until fiscal year 2019 deliberations. The committee voted 3-1-1 to allocate the remaining $51,274 evenly among those 11 charities, with Letourneau opposed and Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) absent.

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The Cascades Library will be closed from March 6 through 10 for renovations. All shelving in the adult and teen areas is being replaced with modern, easily accessible furnishings. During the work, the lobby will remain accessible, and items can be returned and holds picked up

during regular operating hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Community group events planned for the library’s meeting rooms will take place as scheduled. For more information during the closure, call Sterling Library at 703-430-9500, or go to library. loudoun.gov.

rgreene@loudounnow.com

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Supervisor Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles).

Cascades Library to Close for Renovations

Previously, supervisors have allocated that funding on a case-by-case basis. The county’s proposed fiscal year 2018 budget would leave just under $1 million available for grant funding from an expected $8.5 million in tourism tax revenues. The other 4 percent of tax is divided evenly between the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority and the county’s general fund. Despite those concerns, the finance committee endorsed the panel of experts system on a 4-0-1 vote, with Supervisor Ralph M. Buona (R-Ashburn) absent.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

The Board of Supervisors’ finance committee has recommended a systematic approach to making grants from tourism tax revenues despite some lingering concerns over conflicts of interest. The county government collects a 7 percent tax on most hotel, motel, and bed-and-breakfast stays. Of that, 3 percent is designated for tourism and tourism marketing, and 75 percent of that pot goes to Visit Loudoun, the county’s tourism bureau. If the new process is adopted, grant applications would be evaluated by a panel of experts—including county staff members and representatives from Visit Loudoun. Supervisors will make the final decision on allocating grants. “Is it a little bit problematic to have Visit Loudoun—and they certainly have lots of expertise—on the panel evaluating the other sources of funding?” asked finance committee Chairman Matthew F. Letourneau (R-Dulles)

during last week’s discussion. “Because I can think of at least one circumstance where they were the prime sponsor of an initiative outside their budget that they were requesting TOT (transient occupancy tax) funds for.” Visit Loudoun in the past has requested and received $200,000 to help establish Epicurience, as well as $50,000 each year for sports tournament grants, all above its contractually established annual funding. Letourneau said he wants to avoid any future perceptions of conflicts of interest by judges on the panel of experts. “I would say the case for having them involved in this process would be that they are the keeper of the tourism strategy,” said Department of Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer. “So we would want to make sure that at least their perspective was heard when considering any grants that would actually tie into the strategy and move the TOT needle for us.”

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

BY RENSS GREENE

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Recently placed on the market for sale, this Wirt Street home adjacent to Town Hall could be purchased by the town government for future use.

Leesburg Council Eyes Next-Door Parcel for Town Hall Expansion BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

he Town of Leesburg is considering buying a Wirt Street property that could be used for a future expansion of Town Hall. The Leesburg Town Council discussed the issue in closed session Tuesday night and then adopted a resolution authorizing Town Attorney Barbara Notar and the town staff to examine the merits of purchasing the home at 16 Wirt Street SW, which is adjacent to Town Hall. The home recently came on the market. The property is assessed by the county at $284,000. Reached Wednesday, Mayor Kelly Burk emphasized that there are no immediate plans to expand Town Hall,

so for the moment the talks are simply exploratory. But, there is a need to look at future needs of the town and its staff, she said. “At some point in time there’s a likelihood that Town Hall will have to be expanded as the town continues to grow. We need to be more aware and thinking of the future,” Burk said. The mayor pointed to the town’s wastewater treatment plant, which cannot expand because the town never purchased any of the surrounding property. Recently the council approved plans to construct car dealerships next to the plant. That means when there is a need to expand to the plant, Leesburg leaders will have to look elsewhere. Pursuing this sale could avoid a similar scenario for

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

Pennington Garage Construction Starts Soon: Here’s What to Expect BY RENSS GREENE

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Town Hall, she said. “It’s time to be proactive and think about the future,” Burk said. The Wirt Street property “is for sale now. There’s not an immediate use for it, but if we were to purchase it, it would be put to use. We’re taking the opportunity being presented to us now.” The town also owns the Loudoun Museum buildings at the north end of that Wirt Street block. The home for sale and David Groy’s dental office are in between the museum and town hall. Town staff members are expected to brief the council again in closed session about the property once they have more information.

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Rich Brittingham of Dewberry Consultants presents a rendering of the planned Pennington parking garage at an informational meeting Thursday.

Construction on the county government’s planned four-level Pennington Garage in Leesburg will begin at the end of the month. County representatives met with neighbors last Thursday to provide an overview of the construction plans and procedures. The garage, which will stand behind the current Pennington surface lot near the corner of Church Street and North Street, is slated to be finished by April 2018. During the work, construction traffic will be routed from the Leesburg Bypass on to Edwards Ferry Road and

then to Harrison Street. Equipment will enter the site at a temporary construction entrance on North Street across from Harrison Street. Construction activities will be limited to between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays, and between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekends. Deliveries will be restricted to between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Although access will be maintained to Church Street properties throughout the process, county staff members told residents to expect one-lane closures during work on that street, including the construction of a traffic circle.

PENNINGTON GARAGE >> 10

There will be a new, but familiar face, at the dais for the next meeting of Leesburg’s Board of Architectural Review. T h e T o w n Council on Tuesday appointed John R. Roberts to a four- Roberts year term on the panel. Roberts served as Loudoun’s county attorney from 1989 until his retirement in 2014. In addition to his University of Washington law degree, Roberts holds a bachelor’s degree in city planning from the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture. Roberts has lived in the town’s historic district since 1990. He takes the seat long held by architect Dieter R. Meyer, who served 12 years, including stints as chairman and vice chairman. Meyer had served as Katie Hammler’s appointee. She was not re-elected to the Town Council last fall. Richard Koochagian was re-appointed to the board. Roberts’ and Koochagian’s terms expire Dec. 31, 2020. In other appointments on Tuesday, the council added Kimberly N. Pollock, of the Country Club neighborhood, to the Standing Residential Traffic Committee and Peter M. Hill, of Beauregard Estates, to the Technology and Communications Commission. Their terms also run through 2020.

Floodplain Updates Finalized in Leesburg Only three days before a federally mandated deadline, the Leesburg Town Council on Feb. 14 adopted updated floodplain maps. The action brings the town into compliance with FEMA regulations but left some residents uncertain of the impact on their properties. Following a public hearing, the council unanimously adopted changes to the town’s Zoning Ordinance, Subdivision and Land Development Regulations, Design and Construction Standards Manual, and Town Code needed to continue the town’s participation in the National Flood Insurance Program. During last Tuesday’s hearing, residents from two neighborhoods raised concerns about the map changes. The floodplain increased on some lots in Prospect Hills, sparking concerns that the property owners may not be

[ BRIEFS ] homes, suggesting that a berm might address the problem. However, such an effort is not so simple, with alterations to floodplain boundaries requiring engineering studies and approval from FEMA. Details about the floodplain update can be viewed at leesburgva.gov/floodplain.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

able to expand their homes or construct outbuildings. While there are appeal procedures in place to challenge the floodplain boundaries, the Town Council is not authorized to make changes. Residents on Monroe Street also raised concerns about Town Branch flooding that occurs behind their

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This map shows the new boundaries of Leesburg’s Floodplain Overlay District. The Town Council was required to update the town’s zoning rules to comply with Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations.

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Budget << FROM 1 Many of the other proposed new positions are in administrative and support positions to address service level concerns. Departmental administrators have told the board they are strained to keep up with the workload of a growing county while their staff numbers have not increased at the same pace. Under Hemstreet’s proposed budget, the schools would receive an operating fund transfer of $770.4 million from the county, an increase of $61 million, or 8.8 percent, over the current year. That would come up only $3.5 million short of the School Board’s request. The schools would be projected to receive $1.16 billion

Pennington Garage << FROM 8 The contractor does not expect to use blasting. County representatives said they also expect to improve safety and directional information around the area, with phones, panic buttons,

overall, based on the county’s current estimates of state and federal funding. The budget also proposes to eliminate the county transit program’s reliance on the 2-cent gasoline sales tax one year earlier than planned. That revenue, estimated at $7.7 million in fiscal year 2018, is mostly unallocated, giving supervisors the option to bank it to offset future Metro costs. The county’s bus system next year would be funded from the normal operating budget. Purcellville and Leesburg are still proposed to get allocations of gas tax revenue next fiscal year. Leesburg would receive $787,774 and Purcellville, $143,733. In fiscal year 2019, all gas tax revenues will be dedicated to Metro. Despite the relatively flush budget year, Hemstreet also conveyed a num-

ber of critical needs that didn’t fit into his recommended spending plan for supervisors to consider. Among those are a capital budget analyst, inspectors for the Fire Marshal’s Office, and money to expand the sheriff ’s bodyworn camera program. If the board were to adopt the higher advertised rate of $1.14, Hemstreet said, the additional revenue could fully fund the School Board’s budget request and many of the currently unfunded positions on the county staff ’s critical needs list. Randall gave the Department of Economic Development and its director, Buddy Rizer, credit for much of Loudoun’s financial windfall by helping build up the county’s business base. She also said the county will need to address staffing shortfalls, which can cost the county talented employ-

ees and training expenses from turnover because of stress or better salaries elsewhere. “We will, in my opinion, not be responsible and correct if we continue to ask the staff to do that much more with that much less,” Randall said. “We have to take care of the county staff, and we have to do that this year.” The board will hold budget public hearings Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. and Thursday, March 2 at 3 p.m., both at the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison St. in Leesburg. It will hold another Saturday, March 4 at 9 a.m. at the Loudoun County Public Schools Administration Building, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn. The board is expected to make a final vote on the budget April 4.

cameras, lights, and maps inside the parking structure, signage around the courthouse complex, and electronic kiosks where courthouse visitors can scan their summons to find out where they need to go. Lights on the top level of the garage will turn off at 7 p.m. during winter and at 9 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time, after which they will be motion activated. “They’re not going to go on if a cat

goes through there,” said Design Manager Peter Hargreaves. “They’re more sophisticated than that.” The top level of the garage will only be used for the county government’s fleet vehicles, and will be secured with gate access. Pennington and Semones parking lots will remain open during construction, although some spaces on the Pennington lot will be taken up with construction trailers. Construc-

tion parking will be on-site. Once open, the garage and surface lots will be restricted to courthouse and county government business during business hours but open to all visitors and residents on nights and weekends. See the county presentation on the project, including contact information for design and construction questions, at loudoun.gov/courts-expansion.

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community. All of our small businesses deserve to be bolstered and protected,” she stated. Walbridge said voters want a return to values like honor and integrity. “I believe politicians can have both. Values like inclusion and acceptance of all people are important to strong communities. We teach these values to our children in our schools, our homes, and our community programs every day. It is a time to live the lessons that we teach,” she stated. “I believe that all people are created equal and should be free to pursue their version of happiness and achieve an American dream that is uniquely their own. Your version of the American dream may be a beautiful home in the heart of Purcellville. Or perhaps it is teaching your children at home and living a life close to the earth. Whatever your piece of the American tapestry looks like, I will fight passionately to support it, I will work tirelessly to improve our laws, regulations, and codes to help you and your businesses. Together, we can build a brighter Virginia,” Walbridge stated. She has established a campaign email address, tiawalbridgefordelegate@gmail.com, and webpage, tiawalbridgefordelegate.com.

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Round Hill-area resident Tia Walbridge on Monday announced plans to run for the District 33 seat in the House of Delegates. Republican Dave A. LaRock, of Hamilton, has held the seat since 2014. Voters in the district, which stretches from just west of Leesburg to just outside Winchester, will elect their representative in November. Walbridge describes herself as a small business owner and sheep farmer. “Like many people in our district, my family has found its prosperity in a Virginia-based small business and our honor in serving the community and country. My husband served in the Navy and is now working in civil service,” Walbridge said. Walbridge said she has been inspired to take part in political and public service because of the growing partisanship. She is concerned that partisan issues are superseding political support for public schools and small businesses, and that American values like honor, integrity, civility and community are eroding. In making her campaign announcement, she highlighted support for public education and rural businesses. “I am a mother who wants to see us support our public schools and expand opportunities for students in rural areas, so all of our children have access to an education that best fits their needs and abilities. All Virginians; rural or urban, beltway or Blue Ridge, should have the same opportunities,” she stated. “When it comes to higher education, Virginia has some of the greatest institutions in the country, and we should be helping all of our students to achieve their education goals without saddling them with a lifetime of debt.” Walbridge envisions a stronger rural economy. “I believe in strengthening our small business community, in particular, those businesses that define our Virginia culture. Our farms bring their produce and livestock to restaurants and farmers markets all around our communities. Our wineries, breweries, and distilleries give us a dynamic

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[ PUBLIC SAFETY ]

3 Teens Indicted for Murder in Fatal Ashburn Stabbing A Loudoun grand jury has handed up indictments of first-degree murder, gang participation and other charges against three suspects in the fatal stabbing of an Ashburn man. Two men were stabbed in the Nov. 4, 2016, incident near the Ashburn Meadows apartment complex. The body of Guillermo Piedra-Espinoza, 22, was found in a nearby creek and a 19-year-old Ashburn man sustained

stab wounds requiring hospitalization. Jordy Jose Bonilla, 17, who lived in a Whitford Square apartment in the complex, was arrested in New York a week later. According to information contained in a search warrant affidavit, Bonilla identified Oscar Fabricio Lopez Nieto, 16, as a participant in the stabbing. He was arrested Nov. 29, 2016. The third suspect, 17-year-

old Jose Otonniel Chicas Guevara, was identified by the surviving victim who saw his photo on social media. Additional information about the assault or a motive has not been released. The three suspects were each indicted on charges of first-degree murder, aggravated malicious wounding, two counts of wounding by mob, two counts of gang participation, two

counts of conspiracy to commit murder, and two counts of stabbing in the commission of a felony. Following the indictments, Circuit Court trials have been set for two of the three defendants. Bonilla’s trial is scheduled for seven days, May 4-12. Lopez Nieto’s trial is scheduled for nine days, Nov. 6-17. Chicas Guevara faces a nine-day trial starting Oct. 10.

[ PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS ] Woman Killed in Suspected DUI Crash on Rt. 28 An early morning crash Tuesday, Feb. 21 on Rt. 28 near Dulles Airport left one woman dead and a man behind bars on a charge of driving while intoxicated. The single-vehicle crash happened about 2 a.m. just south of the Dulles Toll Road interchange when a northbound Jeep crossed the median and struck a concrete barrier and overturned. Two passengers were thrown from the Jeep Wrangler. Gabrielle M. Perry of Leesburg died at the scene. The other passenger was taken to a hospital for treatment of serious injuries. A third passenger escaped injury. The driver, Andre M. Glenn, 26, of Sterling, was charged with DUI and driving on a suspended license. The northbound lanes of Rt. 28 were closed for about five hours during the investigation and clean up.

Teen Charged with Filming Students in Bathroom A 16-year-old Chantilly teen faces five felony charges after allegedly filming classmates in stages of undress at Freedom High School. According to the Loudoun County Sheriff ’s Office, the suspect used a small device to record students inside a school bathroom, locker room and at some school events, including two cases of “upskirting.” Investigation began Feb. 8 when a student reported to school staff that another student was recording in the bathroom. Sheriff ’s Office detectives have identified several victims and they have all been notified. So far, there is no indication the videos were distributed, the agency stated. The suspect was held at the Loudoun County Juvenile Detention Center.

Suspect in Rash of Rural Burglaries Arrested The suspect in a string of rural daytime home burglaries in Loudoun and Fauquier counties has been arrested. Theodore Roosevelt Bailey, 62, of Capitol Heights, MD, was charged by the Fauquier County Sheriff ’s Office on Feb. 15 with burglary and possession of burglarious tools. He was arrested without incident in Alexandria.

He was held without bond. Bailey is charged in connection with a Feb. 8 burglary on Mount Airy Road west of Upperville, but he is the suspect in at least seven other similar Bailey crimes. In Loudoun, he has been connected to Jan. 10 break ins at homes on Grubstake Farm Lane near Hillsboro— when he was caught on video tape at the front door—and the 39000 block of Charles Town Pike near Hamilton. Three more burglaries and an attempted burglary were reported on Feb. 3 in Fauquier County. The burglaries occurred in the 4800 block of O’Bannon Road, the 7400 block of Drake Drive, and the 6400 block of James Madison Highway. An attempted burglary was also reported in the 5300 block of James Madison Highway near Great Meadow. Two additional burglaries were reported on Feb. 6 in the Aldie area. The suspect entered a home in the 39000 block of John Mosby Highway and removed two handguns from a safe. A similar burglary was reported in the 38000 block of John Mosby Highway where jewelry was stolen from a home.

Dance Instructor Faces Sex Offense Charges A 19-year-old Sterling man has been charged with felony sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl. Investigators in Loudoun and Fairfax counties are working to determine whether Chase Peklo C. Peklo, an instructor at a McLean dance studio, had sexual relationships with other juvenile students. The six charges filed by the Fairfax County Police Department stem from an alleged sexual relationship between Peklo and the Loudoun girl last summer. Peklo was arrested Feb. 16 and was held without bond. He was

charged with carnal knowledge of a child between 13 and 15 years old and five counts of possession, reproduction, distribution, solicitation and facilitation of child pornography. Peklo worked at Adrenaline Dance Studio on Tyco Road in McLean and Stage Door on New Market Court in Manassas. An Adrenaline employee reported the allegation of the relationship to police Feb. 6. Investigators determined he had inappropriate communications with a 13-year-old girl and two 14-year-old girls between December 2015 and November 2016.

Three Arrested in Messaging App Extortion Scheme Three suspects have been charged in an extortion scam in which they demanded money from at least one victim through the Kik messaging app. Yogesh K. Sharma, 56, was charged with felony conspiracy to commit extortion. He is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. Two teenagers also were charged and held in the case. Investigators allege the three pretended to be female on the Kik app and exchanged messages with a 25-year-old Lansdowne man starting in January. At one point, the victim was advised he had solicited a prostitute and needed to pay money to avoid being arrested. The victim paid the suspects on multiple occasions and at multiple locations, including the suspects’ home in Sterling, according to the report. The victim contacted authorities in February. The Sheriff ’s Office conducted a search warrant on the suspects’ home and on a storage unit in Herndon on Tuesday. All three suspects were taken into custody last week. Investigators are working to determine whether others were targeted in the scam. Those with information should contact Detective M. Hall at 571-258-3043 or Deputy First Class J. Totaro at Jason.Totaro@loudoun.gov.

Driver Charged in Rt. 7 Fatality A North Carolina man was indicted this week on a misdemeanor reckless driving charge in connection with a fatal crash on Rt. 7 last fall. The crash happened Nov. 1, 2016, in the eastbound lanes of Rt. 7 just west

of Leesburg. According to court documents, 44-year-old Steven Snead had his Jeep Cherokee pulled over on the shoulder of the highway, with the vehicle completely off the pavement and the hazard lights activated. Zebulon Downing, 24, of Charlotte, NC, was eastbound in a Jeep Wrangler and slammed into the parked vehicle. Snead was killed in the crash. Downing told investigators that he was unfamiliar with the road and was traveling with his cruise control set at 55 miles per hour. A jury trial has been set in the case, beginning Sept. 14 in Loudoun Circuit Court.

Fireplace Ashes Blamed in Aldie House Fire The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office issued a new safety warning following a Feb. 15 house fire near Aldie. At about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday the occupant of a Red Hill Road home called 911 to report the fire. Emergency crews from Brambleton, Aldie, Moorfield, Ashburn, and Dulles South responded along with water tankers from Cascades, Middleburg, Leesburg and Hamilton. The two-story, single family home had fire on a first-floor rear deck that was extending to the second-floor deck. Fire damage was contained to the outside of the structure with moderate smoke damage inside. Investigators found that the fireplace ashes were placed in a bag placed next to the building outside. Damages were estimated at $50,000. Two of the three residents suffered minor smoke inhalation and were transported to a hospital for evaluation. There were no injuries to first responders. Fire-Rescue leaders urged residents to use more care when discarding fireplace ashes, cigarette butts and grill or fire pit remnants. It is important to soak flammable items thoroughly with water and let them cool before disposing into a closed metal container. The metal container should be kept outside away from any structures. For more information on fire safety and prevention programs, contact the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office at 703-737-8600 or go to loudoun.gov/ firemarshal.

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Stierle and Barbe flipped through newspaper clippings and historic documents earlier this week to reflect on the organization’s highlights in the past century. Red Cross’ Loudoun County chapter provided 71 units of blood for victims of the 1983 Flight 90 plane crash in to the Potomac River. They also offered myriad services for those injured in the 9/11 Pentagon attack. One of the efforts that Barbe is most proud of came in the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. More than 500 displaced Louisiana residents made their way here. The Red Cross’ Loudoun chapter made sure they had hotel rooms, new clothes and food, and it also put 200 spontaneous volunteers, moved by the pictures of the ravaged communities, through crash-course training so they could lend a hand. “We did all that out of our little South King Street office,” Barbe said. Chief Brower remembers the Red Cross’ role in helping residents of Sommerset Retirement Community in the early 1990s after a fire displaced nearly every one of them. Firefighters fought the fire for seven to eight hours in record-low temperatures, hovering around 10 degrees. Red Cross volunteers helped take residents across the street to Sully Elementary School out of harm’s way. Working alongside the county’s Office of Emergency Management, they met their immediate needs for food and shelter, and then worked with them to restore what they could of what was lost in the fire. “There was a coordinated effort to get those people relocated,” Brower said. “There’s really a number of incidents, whether small or large, where they have been a vital player over the years.” More recently, the Red Cross has partnered with area fire departments to

dnadler@loudounnow.com

A History of Service

As Stierle reflects on Red Cross’ past work, he also wants to raise the next generation of volunteers. He is working with Loudoun schools to establish student-run Red Cross clubs, that could host blood drives, fundraise, and collect items for neighbors in need. “Ultimately, I’d love to see every middle and high school in Loudoun have some sort of Red Cross club,” he said. “It’s sort of community helping community.” His hope is to pass on the joy and sense of purpose that he feels working for one of the world’s most impactful service organizations. Stierle came to Red Cross in 2011 after a job in sales. He called the Red Cross’ interview process one of the most intensive experiences he’s ever endured and he was ecstatic

when he got the job offer. “I love this work. I love having that connection to the community,” he said. “The best part of it is working and coordinating with our volunteers, knowing that I’ve helped in some way, like setting up a blood drive. That blood literally helps save somebody’s life. That’s incredible.” American Red Cross invites the public to its free celebration, A Century of Service, from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at the Ashburn Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department, 20688 Ashburn Road. Attendees can visit stations that showcase each of the Red Cross’ lines of service. RSVP for the event at bit.ly/ 2m4aE9f.

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ing local families every day. For me, this event is really a chance to bring back the community aspect of Red Cross, so that our community knows that we’re here.” In the past year, the Red Cross in Loudoun has collected 2,000 units of blood—enough to save 6,000 lives, Stierle said. It also trained 2,600 people in lifesaving skills, including CPR, first aid, aquatics and babysitter training; responded to 16 disasters to help 48 Loudoun residents; and worked with 120 military families. Red Cross reorganized its Northern Virginia chapters in 2009, shifting oversight to a regional board of directors and turning what was once a Loudoun County board of directors into an advisory council. Local operations, now running out of the Loudoun Cares facility on South King Street in Leesburg, fall under the umbrella of the National Capital Region. The changes left many thinking that Red Cross was no longer directly serving Loudoun. But Carol Barbe, Red Cross’ former executive director who now serves on its Loudoun County Leadership Council, wants the community to know that they’re here to help. “The Red Cross is still very much in Loudoun. It’s your friends, your neighbors, your family. They never left.”

LA JU NS ST DO SO W LD NE TH

<< FROM 3

Get Involved

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Red Cross

make sure every household in the county has working smoke alarms. Lisa Braun, Loudoun’s public education manager, trains the organization’s volunteers to correctly install the alarms. On Feb. 11, for Martin Luther King Day of Service, a team of Red Cross volunteers visited 235 homes and installed 80 smoke alarms. “That’s significant,” Brower said. “The key here is everything that we do is built on partnerships,” said Kevin Johnson, Loudoun’s coordinator of emergency management, who works closely with Red Cross. “The Red Cross has been a tremendous partner of Loudoun Fire-Rescue, as well as the Office of Emergency Management, for decades. And it’s because of the excellent service they provide.”

[ E D U C AT I O N ]

[ SCHOOL NOTES ] Shockey Awarded $51M School Construction Contract

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

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Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Donna Fortier, executive director of Mobile Hope Loudoun, speaks with students at Blue Ridge Middle School.

Class Project Spurs Middle School Students to Help Those in Need BY DANIELLE NADLER

hat started as a reading assignment for Purcellville six-graders has blossomed into a community outreach project that has kids helping kids. Students at Blue Ridge Middle School were tasked with reading Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” a few months ago. Their teachers saw the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation into a kinder man as a chance to teach the students about the needs of many of their neighbors in Loudoun County, and how one person can make a difference in the community. Each student created a project to inform his or her classmates about area families in need, and drum up support for Loudoun’s charities that give people a helping hand when they need it most. Some students filmed videos and gave classroom speeches, others designed posters and brochures, and most every student and school staff member brought in donations of non-perishable food, hygiene products and new socks and underwear. The project culminated Friday with a visit from Donna Fortier, executive director of Mobile Hope Loudoun, and Cinthia Reyes, once a client of the nonprofit organization who is now on its payroll as an administrative assistant. Fortier told the students about how Mobile Hope serves precariously housed young adults and youth, providing them with food, toiletries, clothes and school supplies. “All the things my kids might take for granted, we want to make sure that every Loudoun County child has,” Fortier told the students packed into the

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Several students got to tour Mobile Hope Loudoun’s bus, which the organization uses to deliver food, toiletries, clothes, and school supplies to local families in need.

school auditorium Friday morning. After the presentation, sixth-grader Anna Holesapple said the project has her thinking about volunteering at Mobile Hope or another local charity. “I didn’t realize there were so many people who were homeless in Loudoun County,” she said. The most recent report shows that in January 2016, there were 134 people in the county identified as homeless, under the federal definition for homelessness. Sixth-grader Clay McKinley said the assignment has made him think differently about his pretty plush life. “It made me realize how much I have— my own bed, clothes, a roof, I wake up to breakfast,” he added. “There are some people that don’t have the things that we consider just basics.” The project was inspired by Superintendent Eric Williams’ One to the

World initiative, a division-wide push to connect classroom lessons to solving real-world problems. Blue Ridge Principal Brion Bell and Dean Karin Nixon said that teaching model has helped students take ownership of their learning. “They know that they’re not just learning for a test, but that what they’re learning will help them understand their community,” Bell said. “I think an 11-year-old is ready to connect the content their learning with community activism.” “You have taken your learning so far out of the classroom. What you’re learning about serving your community is something you’ll carry with you beyond high school and college,” Nixon told the students. “That’s huge. You should be so very proud.” dnadler@loudounnow.com

While the planned Dulles-area middle school still awaits a name, the Loudoun County School Board last week hired the company to build it. The construction contract for the school referred to as MS-7 was awarded to Winchester-based Howard Shockey & Sons Inc. for $51.19 million. The company has built several Loudoun County schools, including Tuscarora High School in Leesburg. It’s currently working on Brambleton Middle School, set to open in August. The School Board awarded the bid unanimously without any discussion. It was the lowest of four bids, all of which fell within $2.7 million of each other. Another frequent Loudoun County Public Schools vendor, Scheibel Construction based in Huntington, MD, made the next closest bid for $52.4 million. MS-7 will be built on land off Braddock Road near Aldie. The design calls for a two-story, 184,593-square-foot building with room to house 1,350 students. In an effort to use every available seat in that fast-growing corner of the county, the School Board has decided to open MS-7 in 2018 as an intermediate school, meaning it will house grades eight and nine, while sixth and seventh graders attend Mercer Middle School, and 10th through 12th graders attend John Champe High School. It will serve as a typical middle school starting in the fall of 2020, when a new high school, HS-9, opens. School Board members have said it was the only option to avoid crowded schools. Ahead of the opening of Woodgrove High School in 2010, Harmony Middle School in Hamilton served as an intermediate school for western Loudoun students. School Board member Jill Turgeon (Blue Ridge), who’s children attended Harmony during those transition years, said it was a good experience. “I never saw it as something I was looking to avoid,” she said. “I hope moving forward the public can see this as a positive solution for our students.”

Time to Name 4 New Public Schools The Loudoun County School Board is seeking name suggestions for four new schools—one elementary school, one middle school, and two high schools. The elementary school (ES28), scheduled to open in fall 2018, is under construction on SCHOOL NOTES >> 16

Hillsboro Charter School Principal Resigns

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Serving Northern Virginia for over 40 years! SPECIALIZING IN: Loudoun Now/File Photo

Trisha Ybarra-Peters, Hillsboro Charter Academy’s first principal, greets a young student during kindergarten orientation ahead of the school’s first day in August 2016.

for someone who can take the position for the remainder of the year on a fulltime basis, allowing Dr. Minshew to guide that person’s transition.” Hillsboro Charter Academy opened in August as Loudoun’s second public charter school. It is a tuition-free elementary school, open to any county resident. The school is accepting applications through Friday, March 3. To learn more or schedule a campus tour, contact operations manager Precyous Harris at 540-751-2560 or via email at Precyous.Harris@hillsborocharter.org.

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Hillsboro Charter Academy announced Friday morning the resignation of its principal, Trisha Ybarra-Peters, six months into the school’s first year. Ybarra-Peters has been on medical leave since December. In early January, the school announced the appointment of Virginia “Ginger” Minshew, a now-retired longtime Loudoun County principal, as a temporary administrator. Rebecca Baldwin Fuller, president of the school’s board of directors, said she was sad to report Ybarra-Peters’ resignation. She wrote in a letter to parents: “Trisha’s lasting contribution to our inaugural year remains with us as she leaves behind a wonderful team of teachers whom she selected and a nurturing atmosphere that has enabled HCA’s children to thrive. We have enormous affection for Trisha and gratitude for the wonderful start she gave us. We will forever cherish the energy and warmth she brought to the role as our founding principal.” The board is immediately beginning to search for a new principal. Fuller said that the board is also looking for an administrator to lead the school for the remaining of the academic year. “We recognize that many qualified candidates may not be able to transfer into the position at this late a juncture in the school year,” she said. “For this reason, we are also engaging in a search

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161213_LTP_print_ad_9-063x6-67_LoudounNow_HalfHoriz_crvs2.pdf 1 12/15/16 12:56 AM

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

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Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Read-A-Thon Supports Early Literacy

Camryn McKnight listens to author Karen Schaufeld read her book “Larry and Bob” during an All Ages Read Together event at Shoes Cup & Cork in Leesburg on Monday. The event was part of a month-long Read-A-Thon put on by the nonprofit All Ages Read Together. There will be several reading events throughout the month, meant to highlight the importance of reading and raise money for the organization. Upcoming reading events are 1-3 p.m. March 4 at Books and Other Found Things and 2-4 p.m. March 12 at Shoes Cup & Cork, both in downtown Leesburg. AART is dedicated to preparing young children for success in kindergarten by cultivating an early love of reading and learning. It has served hundreds of children in Loudoun and Fairfax counties since its inception in 2007. Learn more about how to support its efforts at allagesreadtogether.com.

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[ SCHOOL NOTES ] << FROM 14

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a site adjacent to John Champe High School. The middle school (MS-7), off Braddock Road in Aldie, is also scheduled to open in fall 2018. The Dulles South area high school (HS9) will open in fall 2020 on a site off Lightridge Farm Road west of the Stone Ridge community. And the second high school (HS-11) will open fall 2019 on a site adjacent to Brambleton Middle School. School Board members are in the process of appointing residents to four naming committees. The panels will consider geographic and historic names, as well as names of deceased individuals who significantly contributed to improving life in Loudoun County, in Virginia, or the U.S. School name suggestions should be sent to Loudoun County Pub-

lic Schools Department of Planning Services, 21000 Education Court, Ashburn, VA 20148 or emailed to lcpsplan@lcps.org by March 6. Citizens suggesting a school name are requested to provide background information to aid in the selection process. The School Board naming committee meetings are open to the public and are scheduled for the following dates: The naming committee for ES-28 meets at 6:30 p.m. March 8 and 22 at John Champe High School, 41535 Sacred Mountain St. in Aldie. The MS-7 naming committee meets at 6:30 p.m. March 8 and 27, also at John Champe High School. The HS-9 naming committee meets at 6:30 p.m. March 8 and 29, also at John Champe High School. The HS-11 naming committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. March 7 and 21 at the Loudoun County Public Schools administrative offices, 21000 Education Court in Ashburn.

John Champe Wind Ensemble to Perform at National Festival John Champe High School Wind Ensemble has been invited to perform at the 2017 Music for All National Festival, the nation’s most prestigious festival for school instrumental music ensemble. The 26th annual festival will take place in Indianapolis, March 9-11. John Champe High School Wind Ensemble is under the direction of Jonathan Phillip and was selected to perform by a panel of esteemed music educators by recorded audition. The goal of the John Champe band is to “build community and musicianship,” according to Phillip. The program supports three concert bands, percussion ensemble, winter guard, pep band, jazz band, and the 150-member marching band.

Courtesy of John Champe High School

John Champe band director Jonathan Phillip

17 Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017 LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

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Decade-old Lansdowne Town Center is seeing new life, with notable tenants moving into one of Loudoun County’s original mixed-use centers.

A Lot is New at Loudoun’s Oldest Town Center BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

efore mixed-use live/work/shop developments began popping up all around the county, there was only one. Today, the Lansdowne Town Center is undergoing a bit of a rebirth. The trend often is described as a lifestyle shift, but it is rooted in the region’s evolving real estate market, primarily the decreasing demand for large corporate office parks. Planners in the 1980s and 1990s envisioned office buildings one day would line Rt. 7 between Sterling and Leesburg. Hobie Mitchel and his Lansdowne Development Group saw a different vision. They began buying properties in the Lansdowne area in pieces in the early 2000s. The land was initially envisioned for hundreds of thousands of square feet of office space, a market Mitchel described then and now as “soft.” So he and his team looked east to projects inside the Capital Beltway and at Fairfax Corner, where a mix of retail, residential and office uses, located within one development, sought to create walkable environments where residents and office workers could have all their needs met. A rezoning process ensued and soon Mitchel had all the tools he needed to lay the groundwork for Lansdowne Town Center. “For a suburban area, it was sort of outside the box,” he recalls. “We were introducing some really neat things that had never been tried at the time.” Mitchel notes his luck that the development got out of the ground in 2006, before the economic recession hit, although that did delay work on some aspects of the town center, including the residential-above-retail live/work units. B.F. Saul owns and manages the office and retail space in the core town center and Ellisdale Construction is expanding the footprint with a mix of retail and residential uses. Ward Bell, vice president and COO of Ellisdale, said the property was attractive to purchase because of the growth potential of the area. He notes that while retail has struggled during the town center’s first decade—most notably in terms of the turnover in full-service restaurants, with stalwart Not Your Average Joe’s an exception—the tide appears to be turning. Recently, both Ford’s Fish Shack, a family-owned restaurant which started in Ashburn, announced its third location will be coming to the town center in

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

April. Middleburg staple The French Hound will also be relocating to Lansdowne. While leasing is picking up, the market is hotter for the condo-style retail spaces that allow businesses to own their shops. “We put our retail on the market and within 60 to 90 days we had multiple offers. It went a lot faster than we could’ve anticipated,” Bell said. “I think that with a couple of the better anchor stores over there and some other better retail, it’s helping stabilize the town center. And now that this last parcel is being developed we’re certainly seeing a lot of interest here.” Cathy Frye and co-owner Mary Battaglia opened their Lansdowne Town Center business, Brew LoCo, two and a half years ago. Frye recalls how the two noticed, ahead of opening the store, smudges on the outside of their store windows. They finally figured out those smudges were coming from their soon-tobe neighbors, curious to find out exactly what was coming in the shop. And it has been that same community that has driven its growth over the years, with the purveyor of coffee, tea, beer, wine, and more,

adding to its own menu to cater to its neighbors. While Brew LoCo started out with only coffee, tea and beer for purchase, Frye learned that many of her customers followed a gluten-free diet. So, wine, cider and mead were added to the offerings. Then, many said they wished they could enjoy a drink in their shop, so the sisters pursued and gained a license to serve alcoholic beverages on site and added a lot of food to help support the financial commitment for that license. “We have grown organically as the needs have presented,” Frye said. And it is that same community feel, and attention to its neighbors, that Bell believes drives the town center’s growth and sets it apart from its competitors. Since Lansdowne Town Center’s first tenants opened their doors, competitors have sprung up to the west and east—the Village at Leesburg, One Loudoun and Loudoun Station, with more on the horizon. “For Lansdowne Town Center to be viable it’s going to have to cater to its neighborhood. It’s going to have to be the go-to place for Lansdowne residents, be it the people actually living in the town center and the thousands of homes around it,” he said. Tapping into that huge population of Lansdowne was a big draw for Ford’s Fish Shack owner Tony Stafford in picking the location for his third restaurant. He also believes the town center location will draw from the west and north. “There’s more volume out there than 11 years ago,” when the town center opened, he said. “It may not have been mature enough yet to support several full-service restaurants. But B.F. Saul, who is our landlord, has been very generous with us. I think they really have learned the hard way that you have to support tenants and be successful along with the tenants.” Looking back to its humble beginnings, Mitchel said he is pleased with how the town center has developed, despite the bumps in the road. He believes Lansdowne Town Center started a huge sea change for development in Loudoun County, with mixeduse communities now the standard rather than the exception. “I think it really is a new era coming in to Loudoun,” he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

[ BIZ BRIEFS ]

Kris Consaul was awarded the Rookie of the Year award for outstanding performance and contribution to Keller Williams Realty Leesburg. Consaul sold her first two Consaul homes within four months of receiving her Realtor’s license last February, and sold $1.3 million in volume during her first year.

Signatures of Loudoun Nominations Open Adults who live, work, play and learn in Loudoun are invited to nominate their favorite workplace for a Signatures of Loudoun Design Excellence Award.

The deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. Friday, March 10; the form is online at biz.loudoun.gov/designawards. The Signatures of Loudoun program gives design excellence awards to public spaces, historic renovations, adaptive reuse and visually groundbreaking projects. Winners will be announced at a June meeting of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, and celebrated with a special reception. The Department of Economic Development cosponsors the Signatures Awards program with the Loudoun County Design Cabinet, an all-volunteer, award-winning group of professional architects, planners and engineers. BIZ BRIEFS >> 21

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After 17 years of service with the company, Jan Fleming retired from Loudoun Valley Floors this week. Her co-workers, family and friends celebrated at Magnolias at the Mill on Tuesday. Fleming has Fleming been part of the company’s staff during a period of rapid growth and was credited with contributing to the success and vibrancy of the company. “Jan was a very dedicated and hard-working employee, who treated each one of us as part of her family,” co-owner Steve Jacobus said. “Jan’s retirement will be a big loss to the Loudoun Valley Floors family; however, we are certain that her talents will continue to bless others in whatever her future holds. Fleming plans to spend retirement pursuing her loves of travel, gardening and reading.

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority has inked a strategic alliance with 1776, an international firm that promotes the growth of startup companies. Under a marketing and collaboration agreement, 1776 and the authority will identify and mentor entrepreneurial firms that are pursuing new technologies and processes to improve and streamline the efficiency, effectiveness and convenience of air travel and related forms of transportation that also could benefit other airports, transit agencies and organizations that are part of the broader air-travel community. “In today’s rapidly changing world of business and commerce, it is imperative that transportation providers, such as airports, take advantage of new technologies that help us meet the demands and expectations of our increasingly mobile customers,” MWAA President and CEO Jack Potter stated. MWAA Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Jerome L. Davis noted that companies affiliated with 1776, such as travel-related mobile-application developer Airside Mobile, already are improving the air travel experience by introducing technologies such as Automated Passport Control devices that speed the processing of international passengers arriving at Dulles. Launched by cofounders Donna Harris and Evan Burfield and headquartered in Washington, DC, 1776 serves hundreds of startups and institutions worldwide through its innovation curriculum, mentorship, investment and programming. For more information, go to 1776.vc.

The Lovettsville resident started a light construction and remodeling business, Red Truck Carpentry, in 2006. Real estate is an outgrowth of her love of construction, old and historic homes, and working with clients to accomplish their goals. “It was an honor to be recognized as Rookie of the Year,” Consaul said, “and I’m looking forward to helping many more people in my second.”

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Consaul Named Rookie of the Year

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

MWAA Eyes Entrepreneurial Connections

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The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards Awarded Governor’s Cup, A First for Loudoun In a major coup for Loudoun’s wine community, Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Tuesday night awarded the 2017 Virginia Wineries Association’s Governor’s Cup to The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards for its 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon. The announcement was made at the VWA’s Governor’s Cup Gala, hosted by the Virginia Wine Board at John Marshall Hotel in Richmond. “As we work with our private sector partners to build a new Virginia economy, our wineries will continue to play a large role in generating new revenue and job opportunities, especially in rural areas where most of our wineries are located, through increased sales and other tourism generated business,” McAuliffe said during the ceremony. “My congratulations to Andrew and Maryann Fialdini for this year’s winner, The Barns at Hamilton Station Cabernet Sauvignon, one of many great products helping to make Virginia the preeminent East Coast destination for wine and winery tourism.” It is the first time a Loudoun wine has won the Governor’s Cup. Michael Shaps, of Charlottesville, was the winemaker. “Our team is especially proud of this wine. It is a classic Virginia Cabernet Sauvignon. Perfectly balanced, and has mature tannins that are ripe but not overly extracted; and it has nice

Barboursville Vineyards 2013 Paxxito Breaux Vineyards 2012 Meritage Horton Vineyards 2015 Viognier Ingleside Vineyards, 2014 Petit Verdot • Jefferson Vineyards, 2014 Petit Verdot • King Family Vineyards, 2014 Loreley • King Family Vineyards, 2014 Petit Verdot • Michael Shaps Wineworks, 2014 Meritage • Valley Road Vineyards, 2014 Petit Verdot • Veritas Vineyard and Winery, 2014 Petit Manseng • Veritas Vineyard and Winery, 2014 Petit Verdot Paul Shaffer 6th Edition Wine included in the Governor’s Cup Case will be used by the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office for marketing and the award-winning wines will be used in winemaker roundtable discussions to improve overall quality of Virginia wines. Today, there are over 280 wineries in Virginia, and 330 vineyards that cultivate more than 3,800 acres of grapes. A recent economic impact study revealed that Virginia’s wine industry contributes $1.37 billion to Virginia’s economy and provides for 8,218 jobs in the Commonwealth. Virginia wineries attract over 2.2 million visitors annually helping build jobs in Virginia’s rural areas. • • • •

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Barns at Hamilton Station Vineyards, which has built a local reputation as a popular music and wedding venue, will get global recognition as a Governor’s Cup winner.

acidity,” he stated. “The fruit comes from mostly Carter’s Mountain with some additional fruit from Mount Juliet vineyards. Carter’s Mountain has southwest exposure, constant breezes, great drainage and a slightly cooler climate to retain nature acidity.” The Barns at Hamilton Station was developed as a second career for the Fialdinis. “This experience has surpassed all our expectations. We are very proud of this Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2014 vintage was a special one and we knew we wanted to develop a wine that was 100 percent Cabernet Sauvignon with the fruit from this vintage.” The 2017 Virginia Governor’s Cup

Competition was conducted over four weeks of preliminary tastings, held at the Capital Wine School in Washington, DC last month. The final round of tastings was held at The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond during the last week of January. The Governor’s Cup award winner was selected from the 2017 Governor’s Cup Case, a selection of the top 12 scoring wines chosen from 494 entries of both red and white wines, from 102 wineries. Now in its 35th year, the competition was revamped in 2012 to become one of the most stringent and thorough wine competitions in the country. The 11 other top wines to be included in the Governor’s Cup Case are:

Business Takes Off at Dulles, Reagan National

Wine Kitchen Announces New GM, Adds Catering Menu

LOUDOUN NOW STAFF

BY DANIELLE NADLER

The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority announced last week that Ronald Reagan National Airport and Dulles Airport served 45.6 million passengers during 2016—growing 1.9 percent yearover-year to the highest combined annual passenger total ever. Increases were driven by record-breaking domestic airline activity at Reagan National and growth of international activity at Dulles. Reagan National experienced record-setting passenger traffic for a sixth consecutive year, serving 23.6 million. Southwest, Delta, United, JetBlue and Frontier all increased traffic, while American, the airport’s largest carrier, held steady. At Dulles, international traffic grew for the 13th consecutive year, to a record 7.5 million passengers. Domestic activity also ticked up for a second straight year, growing overall passenger traffic by 1.5 percent, to 21.8 million, in 2016. United Airline’s Dulles hub operations reported domestic growth, while Air Canada, LAN Peru and Royal Air Maroc began new international service. Other carriers credited with contributing to passenger increases included Emirates, Qatar, Copa, Icelandair, South African, Ethiopian, Aer Lingus and Turkish Air.

Under the helm of a new general manager, Wine Kitchen’s downtown Leesburg location is rolling out a new catering menu with the lunch crowd in mind. Erich Bluefeld, who stepped into the post in December, said a lot of the downtown workforce wants a great, fast lunch at a good price. “WK Catering is an excellent option for our local businesses to enjoy our food without leaving the office,” he said. “Our goal is to provide a delicious alternative for office gatherings, meetings, and parties.” The menu offers platters with three choices of sandwiches: roasted squash grilled cheese ($7 each), croque-monsieur ($7 each) and charcuterie sandwich ($9 each). It also features soups and salads, with quantity options that can serve as few as four or as many as 12, starting at $20, as well as $16 pastas to share, including braised pork Bolognese and ricotta gnocchi. Looking to cater to an office party, the menu also lists various sizes of charcuterie and cheese plates, ranging from $17 to $22, that can serve up to 12. Bluefeld worked with Wine Kitchen Executive Chef Tim Rowley and assistant manager Whitney Berry to execute the catering idea. Now two months into his new gig at Wine Kitchen, Bluefeld said he’s enjoyed being a part of a small but tal-

Danielle Nadler/Loudoun Now

Erich Bluefeld, the new general manager at Wine Kitchen in Leesburg, is introducing a new take on catering.

ented team dedicated to providing an exceptional customer experience. His résumé includes working in the kitchen and the front of the house at some of the region’s top restaurants. He earned his associates degree in occupational studies/culinary arts from the Culinary

Institute of America, before going on to work at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants; Tallula Restaurant in Clarendon; and then José Andrés restaurants, including Oyamel Cocina Mexicana, American Eats Tavern and Jaleo. Late last year, he got a text from Rowley, who he’d worked with at Tallula, saying that Wine Kitchen was looking for a new general manager, after Andrew Grantz took a job in California. “I said, ‘absolutely. I’d love to,” Bluefeld said. After working at restaurants that serve as many as 1,000 people on a Saturday night, Bluefeld said he loves the care that Wine Kitchen can pay to each patron, with just room for nine tables and eight bar seats. “José Andrés has a great brand, but when you get that large, it gets away from that personal experience. My job became managing problems,” he said. “Working at Wine Kitchen is about managing experiences. Their dedication to hospitality is what drew me to this restaurant.” Jason Miller and Michael Mercer opened Wine Kitchen in downtown Leesburg in 2008. They’ve since opened two other locations, WK Hearth in Purcellville and the Wine Kitchen on the Creek in Frederick, MD. Learn more about the catering options at thewinekitchen.com/leesburg/ catering. dnadler@loudounnow.com

[ BIZ BRIEFS ] << FROM 19

Current Salon Plans One Loudoun Move Current Salon & Color Bar is planning a move to One Loudoun, with a summer opening planned for the new location. The salon opened in Old Ashburn in 2012 and quickly built a reputation as one of the region’s top hair salons. The new location will be twice the size of the current salon and will feature a larger color bar, more styling stations and a private room for bridal parties and other groups. Multiple treatment rooms and the added space will allow other services to expand, including hair extensions, permanent makeup, and microblading. For more information, go to currentbynese.com.

Loudoun Carpet Care™ understands the importance of providing consistent, reliable personal service to our clients, both returning and new. Our pledge is to offer honest advice about all of the services we offer, and to complete each job the best of our ability.

Spring Farm Tour Registration Underway Loudoun’s agricultural producers are invited to register for the county’s Spring Farm Tour to attract more visitors and introduce their products to a wider audience. Each year, Loudoun’s Department of Economic Development promotes the rural businesses through printed brochures, ads and web content that encourage people to visit farms during the third weekend in May. To get your farm, winery or other rural business listed on this year’s Spring Farm Tour, fill out the application online by March 14 at biz. loudoun.gov/farmtourapp. “Consumers want a personal connection with the brands they buy from, and the Spring Farm Tour is a great way for farm businesses to forge lasting relationships with their customers,” Economic Development Executive Director Buddy Rizer stated. This year’s tour will be held Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21.

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Dance King Studios in downtown Leesburg will celebrate its fifth anniversary March 1. Since 2012, the studio has become a popular destination for couples who want to try something new, or enjoy a different kind of date night. Owner and instructor Adam King

for carpet, rugs, upholstery and hard surfaces on site or at our in plant facility

Dance King Twirls to 5-Year Anniversary

has a different theme each night of the week. Mondays are for beginners, who learn a little bit of everything. The Argentine Tango is taught on Tuesday, Swing on Wednesday, and Salsa on Thursday. King welcomes participants of every skill level, from beginner to advanced, and offers group classes and private lessons. All classes are offered in-house at the W. Market Street studio, aside from a special appearance at Smokehouse Live every second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Zumba classes are also offered Mondays and Wednesdays. Learn more at dancekingstudios. com.

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business/professional career, including any tourism-related experience. Special business skills such as communications and community involvement should also be included. Three business references are requested. Also, candidates should provide up to a one-page response to the statement: “My service on the Visit Loudoun Board of Directors will help Visit Loudoun and tourism in Loudoun County because …” Submissions can be sent to Visit Loudoun at 112-G South St. SE, Leesburg, VA 20175. Electronic copies may be submitted to Greg Harp at harp@VisitLoudoun.org. For more information, go to visitloudoun.org. Questions should be directed to Harp at 703-669-2008 or by email.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Visit Loudoun, the county’s visitors bureau, is looking for individuals to serve three-year terms on its board of directors starting July 1. Résumés must be received by March 3. The new board will be elected by Visit Loudoun’s dues-paying members during the Visit Loudoun Annual Meeting and Tourism Awards Luncheon on May 11. There will be a transition period for new board members starting in May. Visit Loudoun is a not-for-profit organization that serves as the destination management organization for Loudoun County and its incorporated towns. It promotes the county as a tourism destination, leads the tourism industry to work together to increase visitation and visitor spending, and provides convention and visitor services. The board is comprised of up to 24 elected members whose terms are staggered. Interested candidates should submit a résumé outlining their

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Visit Loudoun Seeks Board Members

Ready for Camp? There’s One for You

SUMMER CAMPS

or kids who want to stay active and engaged during their summer recess, there are plenty of opportunities for fun and new

challenges. But families shouldn’t wait for the last school bell to start making summer plans. While Loudoun has a wide variety of camps from which to choose, most fill up quickly. For some, registration already has begun. The Loudoun County Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Service offers everything from outdoor adventures to sports, art exploration, horsemanship, science, nature, engineering, music, and theater. Detailed information and the annual summer camp guide, to be published in March, can be found at loudoun.gov/camps. General registration will open at 8:30 a.m. March 28. The Town of Leesburg’s Department of Parks and Recreation already has assembled a wide variety of summer day camp programs for children from preschool to middle school age. Held at the Ida Lee Park Recreation

Center the programs begin the week of June 12 and continue through mid-August, with half-day and full-day activities planned in the eight weeklong sessions. and include full day and half day programs. Offerings include swimming lessons, arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games, and field trips. Registration has begun for the town’s summer programs. Find details on the Day Camps section of the department’s webpage, leesburgva.gov/government/ departments/parks-recreation. Another popular provider of summer activities is the YMCA of Loudoun County. Nearly three dozen programs are including in this year’s line-up. Programs include cartooning, photography, cheerleading, Lego robotics, chess, sports, and superheroes. The programs are held at the YMCA’s Loudoun County Program Center at 26B Fairfax St. in Leesburg. The weeklong programs are priced around $200. For a full listing of programs and registration, go to the Summer Day Camp section at ymcadc.org/Loudoun. A hallmark of life in Loudoun is digging into its deep history. Water-

ford-based Journey Through Hallowed Ground offers students an opportunity to take a deep dive. The Loudoun County Extreme Journey Camp program offers four twoweek sessions in Leesburg and is open to rising sixth, seventh and eighth grade students who are led by trained guides, park rangers, and historians on experiences throughout The Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area from Gettysburg to Monticello. Participants hike, bike, tube, and canoe through historic sites and are giving the opportunity to learn about the nation’s founder and leaders. What they learn will be preserved in video chronicles. The cost is $800 per student for return campers, and $895 for new campers. Scholarships are available; contact the camp director for information at blaine@jthg.org. Learn more at hallowedground.org/Education/Extreme-Journey-Camps. For additional camp listings, check out Loudoun Now’s Resource Directory at loudounnow.com/camps.

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Kauffman Awarded Nature Camp Scholarship Leesburg Garden Club has selected Hannah Kauffman at the winner of its scholarship to attend the two-week Nature Camp this summer in Rockbridge County. The 13-year-old attends Mercer Middle School and was selected from a large group of qualified applicants because of her strong interest in conservation, the outdoors and the natural world. Nature Camp in Vesuvius is a private, residential, co-educational summer camp specializing in outdoor education in natural and environmental studies for youth. Since 1942, camp organizers have sought to train a corps of youth, from 5th through 12th grades, to conserve and protect the environment and to become stewards of natural resources. Learn more about the program at naturecamp.net. Learn more about the Leesburg Garden Club at leesburggardenclub.org.

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Questions to Consider in Selecting a Day Camp With the multitude of summer camps available, making the right choice can be a daunting task. Here’s some questions you may want to ask before completing the sign-up forms. • What training does the staff receive on safety, supervision, counseling, problem solving and other issues unique to working with young children? • Is the price all-inclusive or are there extra charges for activities, transportation, photos or other items? • If transportation is offered, where is the closest pick-up location?

• If the camp offers swimming, are there swimming lessons or is it simply recreational swimming? • Are campers in a group with a counselor all day? Or, are campers free to go from one activity to another with appropriate supervision? In this case, whom would you talk to if you had a question or concern about your child? • Is an open house offered before camp starts where you can meet your child’s counselor and van/ bus driver? • Are parents allowed to drop by for visits or is there a special parent visitation day?

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• If before- and after-camp extended care is offered, who is with the children and what activities take place?

• Is lunch served or do campers bring their own sack lunch? Are snacks and drinks provided?

loudounnow.com

[ OUR TOWNS ]

Purcellville Council Members Continue Push Back on Priscilla Appointment

BY KARA C. RODRIGUEZ

embers of the Purcellville Town Council last week continued to mount objections to the appointment of former council member Tom Priscilla to the Loudoun County Planning Commission, with some clarifying their positions and others vilifying media coverage of the controversy. Priscilla was appointed to fill the vacancy as the Blue Ridge District planning commission Jan. 19. Four days later, Councilwoman Kelli Grim sent a letter to Supervisor Tony Buffington (R-Blue Ridge) asking for a meeting to discuss the appointment. Grim criticized Priscilla’s voting record, claiming the current council “is buried deep beneath the heavy burdens of digging out of his irresponsible land use decisions.” Priscilla served on the council for a decade until he stepped down in 2014 and on the town’s Planning Commission from 2002 to 2014. He has lived in Purcellville since 1990. Vice Mayor Karen Jimmerson and council members Ryan Cool and Nedim Ogelman also wrote separate letters to Buffington expressing reservations about the appointment. Cool suggested that Priscilla serve in an interim capacity until Buffington meets with western Loudoun town leaders to collect a list of suitable nominees from each town and then name a replacement. Ogelman’s Jan. 28 letter stated that Priscilla’s track record as a town planning commissioner and councilman was the antithesis of what most in Purcellville

and western Loudoun expect from their representative, especially when the county is developing a new comprehensive plan. He supported Cool’s call for a new selection process. “Citizens of the Blue Ridge District entrusted you to make appointments that reflect—not undermine—their expressed interests, but I believe your decision to appoint Mr. Priscilla violates that trust,” Ogelman wrote in his letter to Buffington. During their Feb. 14 meeting, council members did not shy away from their previous positions, but some turned their focus to the media coverage of the situation. Loudoun Now and the Purcellville Gazette published editorials critical of the council members’ response to Priscilla’s appointment. Cool called some of the characterizations of the council’s actions “news to fit a narrative” and said some of the stories about the situation were factually incorrect. Ogelman disagreed with assertions that the Town Council should not expect to have a role in the county’s Planning Commission appointments. “We have an obligation to do that,” he said. Grim also reaffirmed her position and recently spoke in front of the Board of Supervisors to underscore her concerns. “We cannot afford to go backwards,” she said. Grim referred to the time when she first moved to town and Priscilla was serving on the council as the “ice age” when the town was also subject to many lawsuits. Jimmerson said she is glad the me-

Renss Greene/Loudoun Now

Purcellville Town Council member Kelli Grim speaks to the Loudoun Board of Supervisors on Feb. 7, asking that the town have a greater role in selecting the Blue Ridge District planning commissioner.

dia was around to hold the council accountable, and said she hopes the council will play a similar role now that Priscilla has been appointed to the commission. While she said she does not regret voicing her concerns given what she saw transpire with council decisions when Priscilla was serving, “I think he will do a good job because we’ll hold him accountable.” As he did when the concerns about Priscilla were first voiced last month, former Town Council member Steve Varmecky spoke before the council as a petitioner last Tuesday and defended his former colleague. He also said he

disagreed with the council’s rationale for criticism. “When you single out an individual for criticism, you’re essentially criticizing everyone who has served before,” he said. Buffington last week reiterated his confidence in Priscilla’s qualifications for the appointment. “Having taken the time to get to know Tom, I am completely confident he shares my desire to ensure the rural, historic and scenic character of western Loudoun for generations to come,” he said. krodriguez@loudounnow.com

[ TOWN NOTES ] PURCELLVILLE Mayor Presses Conduct Policy Revision Mayor Kwasi Fraser wants the Town Council to revisit its policy outlining conduct during public meetings, as he believes the policy as currently written discourages free speech. Fraser introduced the item during the council’s Feb. 14 meeting. Although it is something he worked on during his first year as mayor, he said he “sees a lot of issues from the council’s perspective” regarding it. The policy was adopted in October 2013, and revised in March 2015. It outlines how members of the public are expected to conduct themselves at any town government meetings, including Town Council, commission and committee meetings. Seventeen behaviors are identified as unacceptable during these public meetings, including interrupting speakers; use of profanity or vulgar language; making non-germane or frivolous statements; and campaigning for public office, to name a few. It appeared Fraser had the support

of a majority of council members on an overhaul to the policy, with several offering their own suggestions for revisions. There also exists the possibility of repealing it altogether. Councilman Ryan Cool has been charged with compiling council members’ suggestions. The item is expected to be back up for discussion at the council’s Feb. 28 meeting.

Sponsors, Vendors Sought for Music and Arts Festival Organizers of the Purcellville Music and Arts Festival, scheduled for May 20 at Fireman’s Field are searching for food and nonfood vendors and exhibitors. The event will include multiple stages, featuring a wide range of musical entertainment. The park will feature art exhibits and competitions, workshops, crafts, and games. The event is free to the public. Vendor fees are $100 and applications will be accepted until May 1. Vendors will receive a confirmation prior to the event with instructions. Each vendor will need to provide their own table, chairs and tents. Vendor locations will

be assigned by festival organizers, on a first-come, first-served basis. Sponsorship opportunities are available with various levels and provide visibility throughout the western Loudoun and Northern Virginia markets. All vendor applications and sponsor packages can be downloaded at purcellvilleva.gov/events. For more information, contact Melanie Scoggins at mscoggins@purcellvilleva.gov.

LOVETTSVILLE Stone, Spannaus Plan Book Signing A book-signing by the authors of the new book containing the complete roster of the Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers will be held at the Lovettsville Museum on Saturday, Feb. 25. The Loudoun Rangers were the only Union military unit that fought in the Civil War from present-day Virginia. The roster, compiled by historian Lee Stone, contains the rank, physical description, service record, burial site, references, and other information about each of the more than 250 members.

The book, “The Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers: The Roster of Virginia’s Only Union Cavalry Unit,” also includes a comprehensive account of the formation and military activity of the Rangers in the foreword and appendix by Edward W. Spannaus, vice president of the Lovettsville Historical Society. The signing will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at the museum, 4 E Pennsylvania Ave. The book is available for purchase at the museum for $12.

MIDDLEBURG Meter-Free Parking has Arrived Downtown With work completed on Middleburg’s streetscape improvements, visitors may notice something missing downtown. The parking meters are gone. However, that doesn’t mean unlimited free parking. The Town Council recently approved a new system that will dictate spaces for three hours or eight hours of parkTOWN NOTES >> 25

[ TOWN NOTES ]

Grazing in the Sun Texas Longhorn cattle graze near Loudoun Heights in western Loudoun County this week. The longhorn is a breed of cattle known for its characteristic horns, that can extend to more than 5 feet 9 inches tip to tip for bulls, and 6 feet 9 inches tip to tip for steers and exceptional cows.

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

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The Waterford Heritage Craft School’s spring session will offer a class in herbal medicine. According to a National Institutes of Health study, it is the most popular form of the alternative medical treatments, now used by one-third of Americans. More than $12 billion is spent annually on natural product supplements like melatonin, echinacea and garlic. Crafts school students will learn how to make their own remedies using easy-to-grow herbs often thought of as weeds. “I’ll teach my students how to grow and store herbs, and which herbs can be used to treat which ailments,” said class instructor Jessica Baker of Day Spring Farm. “They’ll leave the class with everything they need to know to get started making their own remedies.” The three other course topics will be offered at the craft school’s April 1-2 session. They include the Turkish art of Ebru, or paper marbling, which dates to 986 A.D., and the centuries-old arts of basket weaving, and veneering. Classes include 12 hours of instruction over Saturday and Sunday, with lunch provided on both days. Tuition is $300 for each class. Fees for materials range from an additional $20 to $60. The Waterford Heritage Craft School will hold three more sessions this year, each featuring different class topics. Dates are May 6-7, June 3-4 and July 8-9. To register, contact the Waterford Foundation at 540-882-3018 or go to waterfordfoundation.org.

ing, or as 15-minute loading zones. The approach is aimed at being visitor- and business-friendly while still ensuring spaces open up to make parking available for others. Town police will enforce the limits by chalking tires during their rounds. The town plans to issue warnings first, but tickets will follow for repeat offenders. The council also extended the amount of time that individuals have to pay their parking tickets without an increased fine from the previous three days to seven days. Tickets not paid within the seven days are currently charged an additional $25 late fee. At its meeting this week, the council was scheduled to continue discussing changes to the fees and late penalties, as well as implementing incremental fines for repeat offenders.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

<< FROM 24

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

loudounnow.com

[ NONPROFIT ]

Claude Moore Charitable Foundation Announces 2017 Grants Claude Moore Charitable Foundation has awarded grants totaling $1.16 million to 24 Loudoun-based charities during 2017. Since 1987, the foundation has pledged or made grants totaling more than $62 million to various charities, including $17.4 million in Loudoun. Dr. Claude Moore was a longtime Sterling resident who built a fortune during a lifetime of land investments and frugal living. Moore, who died in 1991 at age 98, directed his assets be used to help talented and underprivileged—culturally and economically— residents to maximize their educational development through literacy and advanced academic pursuits. “Dr. Moore spent most of his adult life in Loudoun County and was defined by his belief that education is the key, and that everyone deserved the opportunity to get a quality education,” Foundation’s Deputy Executive Director K. Lynn Tadlock, stated. “The trustees strive to fulfill his wishes by concentrating a large portion of the grant budget on educational organizations in and around the place he called his home.” “Over the years, the Foundation has pledged or donated over $17.4 million in charitable grants to nonprofits in

Included among the gifts and support to Loudoun-based programs during the 2017 grant cycle are: ■ Arc of Loudoun, Paxton Campus – $50,000

■ Boulder Crest Retreat for Military & Veteran Wellness - $20,000

■ Inova Nursing Scholarships $100,000

■ Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties - $140,000

■ Loudoun Cares - $40,000 ■ Loudoun Youth, Inc. - $25,000 ■ Loudoun Education Foundation Odyssey of the Mind, High School Graduation Celebration Project, Teachers Endorsement Scholarship Project, Making a Difference, Future Leaders Scholarship Program, Claude Moore Scholars Program, International Youth Leadership Summit, and The Same Sky Project—$302,258 ■ Bluemont Concert Series $5,000

Loudoun County, we are deeply committed to making an impact on the quality of life in the county”, Executive Director J. Hamilton Lambert. “Those gifts together with the more than $1.5 million in real estate taxes we pay annually, demonstrates the Foundation’s

■ ECHO - $60,000 ■ Five Stones Institute - $20,000 ■ INMED Partnerships for Children - $35,000 ■ Loudoun County General Distributions - $250,000 ■ Loudoun Free Clinic - $35,000 ■ Loudoun Literacy Council $50,000 ■ Loudoun Symphony - $8,250 ■ Virginia Council on Economic Education - $17,000

commitment to Loudoun County.” In addition to the charitable giving, the foundation also contributes the use of more than 50 acres of open space to the National Capital Area Council of Boy Scouts of America for camping use by local troops.

MADD Begins Sneaker Donation Campaign MADD Loudoun is launching a sneaker drive fundraiser. The nonprofit has partnered with Gotsneakers, a recycling organization and social fundraising platform that will compensate MADD Loudoun for every pair of useable sneakers that it collects. The money will be added to the proceeds of its largest annual fundraiser, the MADD Loudoun 5K Walk and Silent Auction, which will be held on Saturday, May 13 at Park View High School in Sterling. For more information about the walk go to walklikemadd.org/Sterling. After the sneakers are collected, Gotsneakers will process and distribute them in impoverished nations around the world. To participate, just clean out your closets of unwanted adult and children’s paired sneakers and athletic cleats. Donations should be tied together in pairs and in garbage bags and brought the Walk or to one of the collection locations: LA Fitness, 21074 Dulles Town in Sterling; LA Fitness, 1490 Classic Path Way SE in Leesburg; Gold’s Gym, 4626 Cranston St. in Sterling; Claude Moore Recreation Center, 46105 Loudoun Park Lane in Sterling; Jazzercise, 20903 Serenity Ct. in Potomac Falls; or E60 Fitness, 21020 Sycolin Road #115 in Ashburn.

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ]

Community Advocacy Program Revamps for 26th Year

PUBLISHER’S NOTICE We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia’s policy for achieving equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth. We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap. All real estate advertised herein is subject to Virginia’s fair housing law which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status or handicap or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.”

Smiles were plentiful during the Feb. 18 Tree of Life dental event at Deidra Bird Kokel’s dental office in Leesburg. NONPROFIT NOTES >> 29

loudounnow.com

fairhousing@dpor.virginia.gov • www.fairhousing.vipnet.org

Kokel Helps Families with Free Dental Care

This newspaper will not knowingly accept advertising for real estate that violates the fair housing law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. For more information or to file a housing complaint call the Virginia Fair Housing Office at (804) 367-9753.

Mental health nonprofit Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services is accepting clients between 16-30 years old for LINC, a coordinated services program with Loudoun County to help young people with their first experience of psychosis find hope and recover. Established in 1963, PRS provides skills training and support to help those living with mental illness, substance use disorders, mild intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders or any combination of these to achieve well-

LEADERSHIP LOUDOUN >> 28

PRS Seeks Clients for LINC Program

ness, recovery and community integration. Services are provided throughout Northern Virginia and in the District of Columbia. PRS provides comprehensive and individualized services, including skill training and supports, counseling, interpersonal skills training, vocational assistance, supported education, substance abuse services and housing supports. To learn more, call Lisa Beran at 703388-6572 or go to prsinc.org.

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

The Leadership Loudoun board of directors has adopted a new mission statement and branding logo in preparation for its 26th year of developing new champions of community service. The mission statement sums up the nonprofit’s activities in three phrases: “Advance Leadership. Build Connections. Serve Community.” Leadership Loudoun was established in 1990 as a partnership among the Loudoun County government, the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce and area nonprofits to promote and develop leadership in the community. Over the past quarter century, more than 500 residents have graduated from the program. “While the overall purpose of Leadership Loudoun remains the same, the board of directors believed that a refreshed mission statement and branding logo would concisely capture who we are,” President Danny Davis stated.

The deadline is March 15 for nominations for the 2017 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards. Loudoun Cares sponsors the program that honors organizations and residents who donate time and service to their community. Residents and organizations are urged to nominate individuals and/or groups that provided distinguished community service during 2016. Awards are presented in 15 categories for both adult and youth, as well as award categories for adult and youth public safety volunteer of the year. Winners will be honored at an April 28 ceremony at West Belmont Place at the National Conference Center. Tickets

will become available April 1. For more details and nomination packets go to loudouncares.org or call 703-669-2351.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Outstanding Volunteer Nominations Sought

loudounnow.com

[ WORKING FOR YOU ]

Jessica Monte Photography

The Step Sisters’ Ribbon Run/Walk draws thousands of participants to Brambleton each year.

The Step Sisters: A Different Shade of Pink BY AIMEE TAYLOR

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This April, nearly 2,000 walkers and runners will gather in Brambleton to fight breast cancer. The 10th Annual Step Sisters’ Ribbon Run/Walk will take place on April 22. But this isn’t just another race. Where do the funds raised from this event go? Many of us know that the color pink represents the fight against breast cancer. But not many realize there are in fact different ways to fight the disease. Some nonprofits work to fund vital research towards a cure. Still others raise funds for education and early detection. The Ashburn-based group, The Step Sisters, has taken a different approach by supporting and strengthening those who are currently fighting the disease. The group understands firsthand the struggles that patients face and believe that no woman should have to delay or even stop treatment because of her personal or financial situation. Awareness is important, but so is action. That’s why The Step Sisters volunteers see themselves as a different shade of pink. Their mission began in early 2014 at Inova Loudoun Hospital where they started providing support services to patients undergoing treatment. Today, the organization supports patients at five area hospitals, but expect that number to grow as it looks to support patients throughout Northern Virginia. By carefully selecting and vetting area vendors, The Step Sisters is able to provide transportation, house cleaning, child care, fresh food/meal deliv-

Leadership Loudoun << FROM 27 “With three simple words—Advance, Build, Serve—we express the goals of our program, the activities of our alumni, and our vision for impacting the community.” A previous logo featured three different words: discover, inspire and connect. The changes were announced during an alumni gathering last fall at Dog Money Restaurant and Brewery in Leesburg.

ery and pet care for these patients. They also provide gift cards as needed. Each service is provided free of charge to the patient and is designed to decrease her day-to-day worries, eliminate any barriers to treatment and allow her to focus on her treatment and recovery. “We meet with our partner hospitals several times a year,” explains Angela Fuentes, founder and co-executive director. “The nurses there are able to tell us what services the patients utilize most often, and what is still unmet. From there, we work to offer exactly what these patients need.” From these meetings, the group has learned of some area women who are in crisis mode when their diagnosis comes. These women may be the sole earners in their families, and loss of work has had a severe financial impact. The group is working to set up a fund to help these women with whatever assistance they may need. The group is also rolling out Chemo Care Bags, which will be distributed to patients undergoing chemotherapy for the first time. These bags contain items to both strengthen and prepare the patient for her treatment. So why the name? Founder and Co-Executive Director Ashley Campolattaro explains, “Think of what a sister does when you need help. Maybe she watches your kids or cooks a meal for you. She knows what you need and just pitches in and helps.” For more information about The Step Sisters, including ways to register for one of their events, go to stepsisters.org.

Leadership Loudoun’s Class of 2017 is comprised of 25 participants representing local government, health care, banks, nonprofits, and private industries. A key focus of the program is having the class working directly on an important community issue. This will be the second year of a new focus on developing solutions to community problems through a collaborative and brainstorming think tank project. This year’s class will focus on four key topics: transportation, culture and recreation, health and human services, and justice and public safety. Learn more about the program at leadershiploudoun.org.

[ NONPROFIT NOTES ]

Help Loudoun Habitat Raise the Roof March 4

Prom Wishes Collections Begin The Junior Women’s Club of Loudoun is collecting dress donations for this year’s Prom Wishes campaign. For the past 15 years, the club has helped brighten prom-night smiles by helping thousands of girls attend the dance without having to worry about the financial burden. Donations will be collected through March 25. On April 1, participants are invited to the Teen Center at Rust Library in Leesburg where they can “shop” for their free gowns, shoes and accessories. Donations are being collected at Claude Moore, Dulles South, Loudoun Valley and Sterling community centers. Other locations include the Ashburn Village Sports Pavilion; Maggie’s Closet, Salon Ten, Studio Pink Fit, the Teen Center at Rust Library and Ketterman’s, all in Leesburg; the South Riding Town Hall; and St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Sterling. For more information go to jwcl.org.

Inova Loudoun Hospital’s next free “Ask the Expert” lecture will focus on the trend of women waiting longer to start their families. The program, Pregnancy After 35, will be offered Tuesday, March 7 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Conference Rooms A&B at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne. Board-certified OB/GYN Dr. Kim Freeman will discuss ways to optimize health of the mother and child during pregnancy. Participants will learn about environmental reproductive toxins, the most current prenatal genetic testing available, and the benefits and risks of technologically advanced testing during pregnancy in the later reproductive years. For those having trouble conceiving, the program will cover information about when to seek medical evaluation for infertility. Spouses and partners are encouraged to attend. Participation is free but seating is limited. To register go to inova.org/AskTheExpert or call 1-855-MY-INOVA (855694-6682).

The Canines-N-Kids Foundation in South Riding has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Petco Foundation to raise awareness about innovative pediatric cancer treatments that also benefits dogs. The grant will help showcase the potential of comparative oncology, the study of similar cancers that occur in animals and people to find treatments benefitting both. The first portion of the funding will be used to raise awareness of the advancements in comparative oncology research and to support the CaninesN-Kids’ first Paws for a Cure Summit of key opinion leaders in veterinary and pediatric oncology, immunology and translational research, to be held June 11-12 at the National Press Club. The Petco Foundation grant was made possible with funds raised annually in May during the Pet Cancer Awareness campaign in partnership with the Blue Buffalo Foundation. Learn more at caninesnkids.org.

SpeedPro Imaging NOVA Names Loudoun Habitat as 2017 Charitable Partner SpeedPro Imaging Northern Virginia has donated $1,850 to its 2016 Charitable Partner, YMCA Fairfax County Reston, in support of its programs that help youth. In addition, the company announced

Submitted photo

SpeedPro owner Roman Blazauskas with Loudoun Habitat for Humanity’s Therese Chashen and Kari Murphy.

that Loudoun Habitat for Humanity will be its 2017 Charitable Partner. “We are a young company but know that giving back is important for our community’s health,” said SpeedPro Imaging Northern Virginia president Roman Blazauskas. SpeedPro NOVA’s program of community volunteerism and sponsorships earned Volunteer of the Year honors by the Greater Reston Chamber of Commerce in 2016. The family-owned business creates premium, wide format, high-resolution digital indoor and outdoor graphics, specializing in event signs, banners, retractable banner stands, trade show displays, vehicle wraps, wall murals, window and floor graphics. Learn more at speedpronova.com.

Loudoun Habitat for Humanity will hold its sixth annual Raise the Roof gala fundraising event Saturday, March 4 at Lansdowne Resort & Spa. Starting at 6 p.m., the event includes an open bar mix and mingle hour, auction items, a seated dinner, entertainment by the Bachelor Boys Band and dancing. Visa is a premier sponsor of the event. Tickets are $150 per person and are available online at loudounhabitat.org or by calling 703-737-6772.

Inova ‘Ask the Expert’ Lecture Looks at Pregnancy After 35

Petco Grant to Support Cancer Research

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Patients who qualified through the Tree of Life program received cleanings and other dental work free of charge. Kokel, three hygienists, and other staff members volunteered their time from 8 a.m. to noon attending to patients’ dental needs, while Tree of Life volunteers scheduled the appointments for their clients. Tree of Life Ministries is a nonprofit, non-denominational, Christian organization that reaches out to the poor and needy to provide food, life skills, shelter, healthcare, and relief. For more information, go to tolministries.org or call 540-441-7920.

13, 20, and 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the PRCS Administrative Office, 20145 Ashbrook Place #170 in Ashburn. The cost is $175 per participant. Registration closes March 3. To register, go to loudouncares.org or email valerie@ loudouncares.org.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

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Points of Light Management Training Series loudounnow.com

Loudoun Cares is offering a three-day training session for individuals who supervise volunteers for nonprofits, faith community, fire and rescue teams and student groups. The Volunteer Management Training Series provides managers with the tools to build and fine tune their programs. The training will be offered March

[ LOCO LIVING ]

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

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Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

With experience in celebrated kitchens, such as Salamander Resort & Spa and The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, Chef Chris Edwards has launched a new venture, combining high-end catering and culinary education. He is seen here at Breaux vineyards, one of several local wineries he is working with.

Chef Edwards Adds Flavor to Loudoun’s Winery Circuit BY JAN MERCKER

fter nearly two decades in the kitchens of the region’s best restaurants (and two Loudoun favorites), Chris Edwards wanted more: more flexibility, more creative control and more time with his young family. Last fall, Edwards took a leap and launched an innovative model that combines high-end catering and culinary education. And like many young chefs breaking into mobile cooking, his approach relies heavily on Loudoun’s booming winery and brewery scene. “I decided to do what every chef dreams of in starting their own business,” said Edwards, who left his post as chef de cuisine at Middleburg’s Salamander Resort & Spa to go out on his own. Before that, Edwards ran the kitchen at The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm near Lovettsville. In November, Edwards opened a small catering company with a focus on what he calls “culinary experiences,” which combine elements of a cooking class with private chef services. Edwards offers interactive cooking classes, followed by a meal, to private clients and winery guests. He also specializes in “pop-up” dinners and food truck sales at local wineries. “Every time I speak to the winemakers and the owners, they always are looking for content for their members. ... They have loyal memberships and great facilities and properties,” Edwards said.

CHRIS EDWARDS AND THE CHEFSCAPE FOOD TRUCK will be at Stone Tower Winery 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25 and Sunday, Feb. 26. Edwards will be the featured chef at a Spring Fling pop-up dinner at Tarara Winery Friday, March 24. $150 tickets include a five-course meal and wine pairings by winemaker Jordan Harris. Reservations can be made by calling the winery at 703-771-7100. Throughout February, Edwards has operated the food-truck in residence at the sprawling Stone Tower Winery south of Leesburg. He’s scheduled to do a pop-up dinner at Tarara Winery March 24 and is in talks with Breaux Vineyards about offering instructional dinners at their northern Loudoun property. Without a commercial kitchen as a base, Edwards has found the perfect solution at Chefscape, a shared commercial kitchen in Ashburn—used by chefs and caterers from around the region. At Stone Tower, Edwards cooks out of the Chefscape food truck in a joint venture with Chefscape owner Rob Batchelder. “It sounded too fun to turn down.” Edwards said of the food truck adventure. “People love to come to the wineries and share. ... They want nice, snackable type food.”

Edwards, who describes his cuisine as “local food with a global influence” offers winery visitors upscale twists on comfort food. His homemade deviled eggs, made with farm fresh local eggs and garnished with bacon, have been a hit. And last weekend, he served a Super Bowl-inspired snack crostini with bleu cheese spread and Buffalo pulled chicken. The menu for the Tarara dinner is a little fancier, including asparagus with a local egg “mimosa” and pickle-brined chicken from Purcellville’s Yohanan Farm. Growing up in Woodbridge, Edwards, now 40, initially dreamed of becoming an architect. “I got into ninth grade and realized I’m not that good at math,” he said with a laugh. Edwards got into the restaurant business as a teen, working at Chuck E. Cheese and Red Robin to earn some

extra cash. But it wasn’t until the end of high school that he found his calling when a friend’s father gave him a copy of the classic 1995 guide “Becoming A Chef.” Edwards applied to the culinary program at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC. He graduated in 2000 and scored a sought-after post at the famed El Bulli restaurant near Barcelona in Spain. When he returned to the DC area, Edwards worked under noted chef Fabbio Trabocchi at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner and then helped his mentor, chef Duane Keller, open the Moon Bay restaurant at the Gaylord Hotel at Maryland’s National Harbor. In 2009, Edwards was snagged by Patowmack Farm owner Beverly Morton Billand and spent years running the small kitchen at the innovative farm to table restaurant. He was hired as second in command at Salamander Resort in 2013. But after years under the typical grueling schedule of a traditional chef ’s post, Edwards decided it was time to shift gears. He’s looking to keep the catering business small, with a focus on finding a niche on the local winery scene. And spending more time with his wife and two sons, now 5 and 18 months, was part of the decision. “[Chefs] love what we do, but we love what we do to a fault sometimes,” he said. “We want some life balance.” For more information about Edwards’ upcoming dinners and classes, go to chefchrisedwards.com.

Feb. 23 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mar. 1, 2017

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[ THINGS TO DO ] ON STAGE LUCKETTS BLUEGRASS: THE TRAVELERS Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.; Lucketts Community Center, 42361 Lucketts Road, Leesburg. Details: luckettsbluegrass.org Newly reformed and returning to the Lucketts stage, The Travelers include alumni from the Country Gentlemen and other blue chip bluegrass bands. Admission is $15 at the door.

LOUDOUN MUSIC INSTRUCTION BAND SHOWCASE Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m.; Franklin Park Arts Center, 36441 Blueridge View Lane, Purcellville. Details: franklinparkartscenter.com. Known for producing some of the best teen bands around, Loudoun Music Instruction hosts a winter band showcase featuring seven talented groups. Tickets are $10 at the door.

‘THE LITTLE MERMAID’ Friday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 25, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.; J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, 490 Evergreen Mills Road, Leesburg. Details: thepickwickplayers.com The Pickwick Players present Hans Christian Anderson’s wistful story of a mermaid who falls hopelessly in love with a fish-eating human—complete with magical transformations, colorful set and costumes and a happy ending.

The annual Chocolates Galore & More celebration takes place Friday, Feb. 24, at Lansdowne Resort and Spa. This will be the 30th year for the event that raises money to support the YMCA of Loudoun County. More than 30 presenters will be serving up tasty creations and competing for the Critic’s Choice and People’s Choice awards. Area favorite Ted Garber and his full band will entertain during an evening of champagne, sweet treats and dancing. There will be a silent auction

and other opportunities to support youth in Loudoun County. The event begins at 7 p.m. All money raised during the event will go to the YMCA Loudoun County’s Caring for Community Scholarship Program, which assists youth who can’t afford full tuition for after-school or summer camp programming.

Saturday, Feb. 25, 7:30 p.m.; Potomac Falls High School, 46400 Algonkian Parkway, Potomac Falls. Details: lcbandinc.org.

LOCO CULTURE BLACK HISTORY MONTH EXPO

Join LSW for an evening of favorite musical suites by outstanding composers including

Saturday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.; The Plaza at Cascade Overlook, 21453 Epicerie Plaza, Sterling. Details: LoudounFreedomFoundation. com

Holst, Debussy and Grieg. Admission is by donation. Credit: Mary Parker

MUSIC WITH A CAUSE: A TASTE OF SPRING Sunday, Feb. 26, 4 p.m.; Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church, 711 W. Main St., Purcellville. Details: standrew-pres.org Beethoven’s “Spring Sonata” for violin and piano forms the heart of a recital by Venezuelan violinist Marjory Serrano and Taiwanese pianist Hsin-Yi Chen, featuring additional classics by Mozart, Coleridge-Taylor and Albeniz. The program benefits Mobile Hope of Loudoun. Tickets are $15 online or at the door, with youth ages 17 and younger admitted free.

Join the Loudoun Freedom Center for an event featuring some of Loudoun’s notable history makers, historians, educators, community activists, STEM leaders, and elected officials. Speakers include U.S. Rep. Barbara Comstock, County Chairwoman Phyllis J. Randall and author Kevin Grigsby. Admission is free.

LOUDOUN GROWN EXPO Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Bush Tabernacle, 250 S. Nursery Ave., Purcellville. Details: loudoungrownexpo.org Visit over 30 farmers, wineries and artisans at this annual showcase of all things local. Admission is free for Purcellville residents and $2 per person or $3 per family.

‘NORTH STAR’

‘JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH’

Sunday, Feb. 26, 3:30 p.m.; Ashburn Library, 43316 Hay Road, Ashburn. Details: library.loudoun.gov

Thursday, March 2, 7:30 p.m., Saint Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 201 E. Frederick Drive, Sterling. Details: sterlingplaymakers.com

BOOK SIGNING: JAMES MORGAN

Sterling Playmakers present the classic children’s tale about an orphan boy who finds friendship when a magic spell causes five friendly insects to grow to human size. Tickets are $10. Performances continue March 3, 4 and

Morgan discusses his book, “A Little Short of Boats: The Battles of Ball’s Bluff & Edwards Ferry, October 21-22, 1861,” providing a glimpse at the strategy, fighting and the key command decisions involved in these two

Bright Star Theatre presents an upclose and personal glimpse into the courageous life of Harriet Tubman from her earliest days on a Maryland plantation to her work as conductor and spy and her own journey to freedom. Best for third grade and up.

Tickets are $50 and can be purchased at loudounchocolates.com.

11 at Seneca Ridge Middle School and March 9 at Sterling Park Christian Church.

LOUDOUN SYMPHONIC WINDS: SUITES FOR MY DARLING

Courtesy of Bright Star Theatre

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Chocolates Galore Marks 30 Years of YMCA Support

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2 p.m.; Rust Library, 380 Old Waterford Road NW, Leesburg. Details: library.loudoun.gov

local battles.

BOOK SIGNING: LEE STONE Saturday, Feb. 25, 3-5 p.m.; Lovettsville Museum, 4 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Lovettsville. Contact: 540-822- 9194 Historian Lee Stone discusses his book “The Independent Loudoun Virginia Rangers,” which tells the story of the commonwealth’s only Union cavalry unit. Event is free and open to the public.

BALL’S BLUFF REMEMBRANCE DAY DINNER Sunday, Feb. 26, 6-8:30 p.m.; Algonkian Regional Park Woodlands Room, 47001 Fairway Drive, Sterling. Details: novaparks.com The Friends of Ball’s Bluff Battlefield hosts a dinner featuring author and historian Robert F. O’Neill discussing the June 1863 battles of Aldie, Middleburg and Upperville. Tickets are $45 for members, $50 for non-members and include a catered dinner and an open bar.

THOMAS BALCH TALK: DIGITAL SEARCH TECHNIQUES Thursday, March 2, 10 a.m., Thomas Balch Library, 208 W. Market St., Leesburg. Contact: 703-737-7195 Laura E. Christiansen, Curator of Manuscripts and Archives, will help participants learn new ways to use digital resources for research, including an intro to Balch’s new sound and moving image kiosk. Event is free and open to the public. Advance registration is recommended.

MORE TO DO >> 33

[ MORE TO DO ] FUN FOR A CAUSE LOUDOUN CAREER FIREFIGHTERS FUNDRAISER Friday, Feb. 24, 6-11:30 p.m.; Crooked Run Brewing, 22455 Davis Drive #120, Sterling. Details: crookedrunbrewing.com

Courtesy of Town of Hillsboro

MARDI GRAS MASQUERADE IN THE GAP Saturday, Feb. 25, 7:30-11 p.m.; Hillsboro Old Stone School, 37098 Charles Town Pike, Hillsboro. Details: oldstoneschool.org Celebrate carnival with Cajun cuisine, king cakes, specialty drinks, local beer and wine, and New Orleans jazz. The event includes a silent auction and prizes for best costume. Tickets are $40 per person, $70 per couple or $250 for a reserved table for four.

MARDI BRAS FUNDRAISER Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6-9 p.m.; Blackfinn Ameripub, 43781 Central Station Drive, Ashburn. Details: rotaryclubofashburnva.org The Rotary Club of Ashburn’s fourth annual Mardi Bras event collects new and gently used bras that are donated to survivors of sex trafficking who can resell the bras to help support their families. Event features food, happy hour drink specials, king cake, vendor tables and raffles.

LOVETTSVILLE LIONS PANCAKE SUPPER Tuesday, Feb. 28, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; Lovettsville Community Center, 57 E. Broad Way, Lovettsville. Details: facebook.com/ Lovettsville.Lions

The Mosby Heritage Area Association will hold its President James Monroe Symposium on Saturday, March 11, at Church of Our Saviour Oatlands near Leesburg. The program includes presentations by Scott Harris, executive director of James Monroe Museum in Fredericksburg, on Service Above Self: James Monroe as Model Citizen; Dan Preston, editor of James Monroe Papers, University of Mary Washington, on the Election, Inauguration and Early Days of President James Monroe, 1816-17; Sara Bon-Harper, executive director of James Monroe’s Highland, on A Change in How We See James Monroe: New Discoveries at Highland; and Gordon Kray, sculptor of the James Monroe Statue at Williamsburg, on the Physiognomy of James Monroe: Getting Closer to the Fifth President. The event will conclude with a special reception at Monroe’s home, Oak Hill, which was built starting in 1820

under the direction of James Hoban, the architect of the White House. The symposium will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the Church of Our Saviour Oatlands, 20340 James Monroe Highway south of Leesburg. The reception at Oak Hill will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tickets are $110 for MHAA Members and $125 for non-members and may be purchased at mosbyheritagearea.org/events or by calling 540-687-6681. Reservations are required. A hot lunch, provided by the Building Fundraising Committee of the Church of Our Saviour Oatlands is included. The Mosby Heritage Area Association has a mission of promoting preservation through education. For more information, go to mosbyheritagearea.org.

Celebrate Fat Tuesday with tasty sausage, eggs, pancakes and beverages. Cost is $7 for adults, $4 for children and seniors and free for children 5 and younger.

Symposium Spotlights Nation’s 5th President

Check out Crooked Run’s new Sterling location while supporting the Loudoun Career Firefighters Association, which helps professional firefighters in times of need. The event includes a ghost pepper taco-eating contest.

Exploring Monroe:

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

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LIBATIONS Saturday, Feb. 25, Vanish Brewery Celebrate the LoCo Ale Trail with craft beers from 16 Loudoun breweries, meet brewmasters and enjoy live music and great eats from favorite food trucks.

MORE TO DO >> 34

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LOCO ALE TRAIL FEBREWARY FINALE

[ MORE TO DO ]

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<< FROM 33 Tickets available for two timed sessions: noon-3 p.m. and 4-7 p.m. Only 200 tickets are available per session. Ticket price is $40 in advance, $45 at door and includes a commemorative tasting glass.

NIGHTLIFE LIVE MUSIC: HUNGRY ON MONDAY Friday, Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Leesburg Junction, 215 Depot Court, Leesburg. Details: leesburgjunction.com

Photo: Contributed

Humane Society Revamps ‘Working Cats’ Program The Humane Society of Loudoun County has announced changes to its former “Barn Cat” program to help make placement easier and more appealing. Revamped as the “Working Cat” program, the organization has broadened its effort to find homes for individual or colonies of semi-feral cats at farms with barns and horse stables to now include breweries, wineries, vineyards, nurseries, warehouses and larger residential properties with outdoor structures—places where rodents can be plentiful and

mousers are welcome. All the cats offered for adoption are healthy and have received veterinarian care including sterilization, rabies shot and exam. No adoption fee will be assessed. These “working cats” provide an organic of pest control, keeping rodents away from grain and food storage. Those interested in learning more about the program or who have homes to offer, may contact the Humane Society of Loudoun County at helpanimals@humaneloudoun.org.

Downtown’s new event space celebrates the end of the month with a local artist showcase spotlighting this up and coming alt rock band. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for students online or at the door.

GEORGE CLINTON AND PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC Friday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m.; Tally Ho Theatre, 19 W. Market St., Leesburg. Details: tallyholeesburg.com

light. Carroll is a fixture on the Loudoun songwriting scene, known for his poetic bent and soulful tunes. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Advance purchase is recommended.

LIVE MUSIC: BRETT LESHER Saturday, Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m.; Trinity House Cafe, 101 E. Market St., Leesburg. Details: trinityhousecafe.com The Lynchburg, VA artist formerly known as Bosc returns to Trinity House with his emotionally packed tunes. No cover.

LIVE MUSIC: RANDY THOMPSON BAND Saturday, Feb. 25, 8:30 p.m.; Smokehouse Live, 1602 Village Market Blvd., Leesburg. Details: smokehouse-live.com Virginia-based singer/songwriter Randy Thompson brings to life the rich musical history of the Piedmont region—with a 21st Century twist. No cover.

The funk legend brings his Mardi Gras Madness tour to Leesburg. Tickets are $55 in advance, $65 at the door.

SONGS STORIES AND GAS MONEY: JON CARROLL Saturday, Feb. 25, 7 p.m., doors open, 8 p.m., music begins; Barns at Hamilton Station Founding member of the Starland Vocal Band, known for its hit Afternoon De-

Courtesy of Jon Carroll

The Good Times Roll in Louisiana’s Northernmost Parish!

Mardi Gras

Masquerade in The Gap!

A Benefit for The Old Stone Schoolhouse

Saturday, Feb. 25 7:30–11 p.m. At the Historic Hillsboro Old Stone Schoolhouse

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

■ Louisiana Cuisine ■ King Cakes ■ Hurricane and Specialty Drinks ■ Best Costume Prizes

■ Old 690 Brewery Beer and Local Wines ■ DJ Ben Ortiz - New Orleans Jazz ■ Silent Auction

TICKETS:

$40/single – $75/couple Order online at oldstoneschool.org VIP reserved tables: $250 (Includes 4 tickets, 4 drink tickets)

Town of

Special thanks to our partners ...

HILLSBORO www.oldstoneschool.org

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The Better Way to a Better Window™

[ OBITUARIES ] Glenda is survived by her son Alex Cudaback, her daughter-in-law, Maggie, a grandson, Finn, her husband of 35 years, Daniel S. Morrow, and her first husband, R. David Cudaback.

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At her request her body was given to Johns Hopkins for research. The ashes of her remains are to be scattered by the family in a private ceremony. A small part of her, and no doubt her heart, will rest in Paris. A public memorial service will be scheduled for a later date.

Glenda Cudaback Morrow (1945 - 2017) After a long illness, Glenda Sharon Moses Cudaback Morrow died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Reston, Virginia, early in the morning of February 16, 2017. Born in Napa, California, Glenda was the daughter of Glendon Moses and Carma Jo Kirkpatrick. A graduate of Napa High School, she majored in Journalism at Chico State College, now California State University, Chico, and worked as a reporter for the Daily Democrat. While at the Democrat she interviewed Robert Kennedy, just days before his tragic death. She arrived in Chicago and began work for the Chicago Tribune on the eve of the 1968 Democratic Convention. From Chicago she moved to Paris, France, where she worked for the International Herald Tribune, rising to Director of Promotion. She also served as a Vice President of Whitney Communications in New York and International Data Group near Boston.

MOVING SALE Sunday, February 26 -- noon to 4 pm Beige sectional, full size captain’s bed with hutch and dresser, mini freezer, workout equipment & more. * cash only *

43953 Bruceton Mills Cir. Ashburn, VA 20147 571.345.6088

Antoine Newman, 53, of Herndon, VA, departed this life on Feb. 6, 2017 at his residence. He leaves to cherish his memory three children Antoinette Kardelis (Tobias), Marcus Bushrod and Terez Newman. Ten Grandchildren, eleven siblings Fred Newman, Gwen Trent (Steven), Delphene Santiago (Ishmael) William Norris, Lynn Norris, Anthony Newman (Tina), Chris Norns (Geraldine), Lewis Newman, Sherri Cross, Bridgette Alston(Troy), Kyle Norris (Amy); two adopted brothers, Randy Gilmore and Lewis Hembry; two aunts, Edith Wilkerson (Harold) and Emma Nickens (Leon); one great aunt, Etta Bush; a very special best friend, Sharon Corum Robinson; and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services were held on Feb 11 at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Herndon, VA. Arrangements by Lyles Funeral Service of Purcellville, VA

Email: classifieds@loudounnow.com or Call: (703) 770-9723 to place your yard sale ad

Don’t worry Loudoun We Deliver

In the early 1980’s she founded Cudaback Strategic Communications. As a consultant for International Data Group she was the inspiration and driving force behind the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards and Computerworld Honors programs, which for nearly twenty years helped document the history of the Information Technology Revolution, collecting thousands of case studies and well over a hundred oral histories. With UNC in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, she created the Knowledge Trust and Louis Round Wilson Academy. With INOVA Loudoun hospital she created the Loudoun Laurels Program, whose oral history and scholarship program now continues under the Chairmanship of the Hon. Joe May. With the Laurels she served for many years as a personal mentor for high school students in Loudoun County. She was a co-founder and writer for the Middleburg Eccentric in Middleburg, Virginia, and one of the earliest supporters and investors in Loudoun Now.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

For Sale

An avid gardener, she preserved and transformed the grounds of the historic stone Everhart farmhouse just north of Waterford. She was an equally avid supporter of those who worked to protect and care for animals, and helped found the Animal Rescue Fund of Delaplane, Virginia.

Fountains of Living Water International Church

Meeting at: Sterling Middle School 201 W. Holly Ave. Sterling,VA 20164 Sunday 10:30am

www.fountainsoflivingwater.org “Whoever believes in me (Jesus)... streams of living water will flow from within him.” John 7:38

Call To Worship In Print & In Our Online Resource Directory

SALESPERSONS

OUR BUSINESS IS BOOMING Call Sunil Joshi 703-957-0062

Hiring?

We’ve Got You Covered In The Mail Weekly

Transworld Business Advisors of Loudoun County sjoshi@tworld.com

Online Always

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Carpenter / Carpenter’s Helper

Contact: Lindsay Morgan (703) 770-9723 lmorgan@loudounnow.com

Experienced & Reliable with tools & transportation for remodeling in Western Loudoun Call: (202) 812-1022

Education Specialist (Part-time) The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District (LSWCD) is seeking a part-time Education Specialist to work 18 hours each week. The District office is located in Leesburg, VA. The successful candidate will assist in carrying out the Education objectives of the District. This includes educational outreach for K-12, focusing on environmental and conservation education. Minimum education and experience requirements include: any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from high school supplemented by college level courses in education or an environmental field. Completion of Project WILD, WET, and LEARNING TREE is a plus, as is marketing experience. Requires the ability to work a flexible schedule that may include days, evening, or weekends. Requires a valid driver’s license. Background check required.

Application packets must be postmarked by Friday, March 3, 2017. The Loudoun Soil and Water Conservation District is an equal opportunity employer.

We offer benefits to fulltime employees such as health/dental insurance, vacation, simple IRA retirement. We also offer direct deposit. Please apply online at http://www.icareabouthealth.net

Crossword

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Starting salary: $15-$18/hr. depending on education and experience. No benefits are offered with this position. For more information, contact Suzanne Brown, District Operations Manager at suzie.brown@lswcd.org or visit www.lswcd.org for an application.

Busy Home Healthcare Agency established in 1993 with offices in Fairfax and Loudoun Counties looking for CNA, HHA or PCA. Nursing Students also Encouraged to Apply! for immediate work for all shifts.

Large family practice in Loudoun County looking for a FT LPN or MA who is compassionate, energetic and loves working with a team. Pediatric and or family practice experience preferred but willing to train the right candidate. EHR experience highly recommended. We offer health, dental and vision insurance as well as direct deposit, 401k and many other benefits. Please send your resume to lgray@lmgdoctors.com or fax to 703-726-0804, attention Lisa.

At the Crossroads ??? Nation’s #1 Business Sales Firm seeking Agents looking to earn $70k Minimum. ONLY 2 Openings. Will Train. No Nights/Weekends First Class Support.

FT LPN or MA

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Employment

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Resource Directory ACCOUNTING / TAXES

Jay M. Jamison

Accounting & Income Taxes

BARBER SHOP Ashburn Barber Shop 44031 Ashburn Shopping Plaza, #139 Ashburn, VA 20147 Ashburn Village Center Same Shopping Center as Old Giant, Popeye Chicken, Burger King, Kinder Care & Ashburn Service Center

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Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

EVENTS

[ OPINION ]

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A Better Balance At the outset of the talks, the hallmark of the fiscal year 2018 budget debate on the general county government side of the ledger is addressing staff shortages. The post-recession revenue pinch forced many local governments to defer filling vacancies or adding new positions. In a fast-growing county like Loudoun, those deferrals have a larger impact. Past boards of supervisors have worked to keep public safety agencies staffed while also trying to keep pace with rapid school enrollment increases. They addressed the most pressing priorities. Other government functions—especially social services—largely took a back seat. This year, it looks like supervisors will be able to do a little more. The county administrator’s proposed budget seeks to add the equivalent of 200 more full-time employees to the payroll. In this year’s budget, the board added 48. Just how far is the government behind on its staffing? The budget identifies another 29 unfilled departmental funding increase requests that are categorized as “critical needs.” Filling them would require another 28 full-time staffing positions and about $5 million. On the list of unfunded requests are big ticket items—hundreds of thousands of dollars here and there—for efforts such as expanding the use of body-worn cameras in the Sheriff ’s Office and hiring a new county prosecutor to specialize in domestic violence cases. Among the smaller ticket items is a request for $38,060 to convert the part-time veterans coordinator position to a full-time post. Initiated by the previous board, the county’s Veterans Services Program won statewide recognition, providing a model for how communities can better serve servicemen and servicewomen returning home from war zones as well as the families of those who are deployed. Supervisors have heard repeated testimony that the program works— it’s impactful and vital. It’s also been a challenge to make work with a part-timer, supervisors have been told. Those and other items on the “critical needs” list are likely to garner most of the discussion in the board room over the next several weeks. In those talks, many supervisors will be focused on holding to the proposed 1-cent reduction to the property tax rate. Important to that context is the projection included in the budget document stating the lower tax rate is expected to reduce the bill of the average homeowner by $5 next year. That’s enough for a Happy Meal or a fancy cup of coffee. What is the community’s price if another battered woman is murdered by an ex who violates a protective order, or if a struggling vet can’t get life-saving help? This budget season offers the opportunity to find a better balance.

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[ LETTERS ] Empty Promises Editor: Congresswoman Barbara Comstock offers much criticism of the Affordable Care Act without proposing any real solutions to the problems its caused and without acknowledging the good it has done for the nearly 40,000 of her constituents who have enrolled. We must insist on a real plan for our future that goes beyond the partisan talking points we’ve heard so far. I wrote to Congresswoman Comstock’s office concerned about the first steps taken by Congress to repeal the ACA in early January. My family is counted among the many in the 10th District who would be directly affected if key provisions of the law were removed without replacement. Ms. Comstock’s response provided few details, except to offer her support of a “transition to a patient-centered healthcare system for the American people that is more affordable, portable, flexible and provides more choices for individuals and families.” The phrase “patient-centered” appeared again, attributed to the congresswoman in the Jan. 19 article in this paper and then again (although this time as “patient-focused”) in a letter to the editor from Clay Suskalo on Feb. 8. But “patient-centered” is a concept, not a solution. Congresswoman Comstock’s party focuses attention on the features of the ACA that they assert have chipped away at our choices: the individual mandate, the small number of insurers in some markets, and increasing premiums. But their argument incorrectly equates fixable problems to structural problems. And more damagingly, it conflates lack of choice with poor outcomes for peoples’ health. The ACA is already a “patient-centered” piece of legislation precisely because its net effect has been better

healthcare for more Americans. Prior to the ACA, many Americans were shut-out of the insurance marketplace because of low income or preexisting medical conditions. As a result, they were less healthy and at higher risk of being consumed by medical debt. The ACA enacted minimum standards of coverage so that health-care consumers would not get caught without critical coverage. And since 2011 almost 13 million fewer people under 65 have had problems paying their medical bills. Last week, the Republican Party outlined its ACA replacement plan with a set of policies that addresses the Party's ACA talking points, but fails to retain the parts of the ACA that have saved lives and granted 20 million Americans new access to health care. Most critically, the new policies would eliminate all of the taxes and fees associated with the ACA without any suggested revenue replacements. This means exactly what it sounds like: less money for the least advantaged among us to purchase health-care. Congresswoman Comstock offers the same empty promises as her national party, providing no tangible solutions to our health care needs. I encourage us all to write or call Ms. Comstock and ask her to come and listen to us, to hear our stories. Tell her it’s not about “repeal and replace,” its about delivering better healthcare to more people. — Adam Loverro, Leesburg

An Investment Editor: I am writing in response to Matt Chwalowski’s letter criticizing the Superintendent of Schools for asking for $15 more from every household. LETTERS >> 41

[ LETTERS ]

— Elizabeth Hedges, Lovettsville

A Tsunami

In keeping with his campaign promise to “get rid” of EPA “in almost every form,” and with the confirmation of Scott Pruitt for U.S. attorney general, President Trump has signaled an intent to reduce immediately the funding, staffing and powers of the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA has been the target of numerous lawsuits Pruitt has initiated as attorney general of Oklahoma. While perhaps unsurprising for this administration, Pruitt’s plans to curb EPA’s enforcement, cut personnel, and delegate more authority to the states would reverse Republicans’ record of support for bipartisan federal leadership in combatting air and water pollution and other environmental threats. President Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA in a reorganization plan sent to Congress in July, 1970, soon after the first Earth Day. That plan by Nixon’s new White House Council on Environmental Quality, strongly supported by White House Counsel John Ehrlichman (yes, the infamous John Ehrlichman of later Watergate fame), consolidated the air, water, and pesticide programs from three different agencies into a new EPA. The agency began work in December 1970, with a staff of more than 5,000. Nixon fully recognized, and indeed was largely motivated by, the political value of supporting environmental protection. After all, the Cuyahoga River around Cleveland had already caught fire, and citizens around the country had organized to observe Earth Day, spreading awareness of environmental issues among school children and citizens throughout the country. In Congress, meanwhile, Senator Edmund Muskie and the Congress—Republican and Democratic members alike—responded to these concerns with passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts to give EPA substantial regulatory clout, and to shape and oversee effective state pollution control programs that have continued ever since. EPA grew under Nixon’s first EPA administrator, William Ruckelshaus, and it thrived over the next ten years. But then came Ronald Reagan, who had to learn some hard lessons about EPA’s value that President Trump might do well to study. Like Trump today, Reagan sought to curb federal regulatory powers and return much environmental regulation to the states. He appointed a cadre of totally inexperienced EPA leaders in 1981, led by Administrator Ann Gorsuch—the mother of recent Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch—who had been a state legislator and lawyer for a Colorado telephone company. But within two years, Gorsuch was cited for contempt of Congress—with 55 Republican and 204 Democratic votes—for withholding documents from congressional oversight, and Rita Lavelle, Gorsuch`s assistant administrator overseeing the Superfund program (established after the Love Canal disaster), was headed to prison for perjury and misuse of Superfund money. In late 1983 Reagan brought back William Ruckelshaus to set EPA back on course. More recently, EPA continued its regulatory work under both Bush presidencies and Clinton and Obama, enduring frequent budget and staff cuts, but without threats to its existence. Sufficient numbers of Republicans have

consistently joined Democrats in understanding that Americans’ health and welfare require a federal agency to ensure nationwide environmental protection. Cuts in acid rain during the 1990s were followed up under George W. Bush’s first term with actions to reduce mercury emissions from coal plants. More recently, Obama’s EPA took major steps to curb the devastating impacts of mountaintop coal mining, to reduce air pollution from coal-fired power plants, and to monitor and reduce release of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from fracking operations. Most notably, EPA has engaged vigorously, in cooperation with the Department of Energy to respond to the overwhelming scientific consensus (that Scott Pruitt has denied) that Earth is warming at a catastrophic rate and that human activities are to blame. Today, thanks to EPA and the laws on which it relies, we don’t have rivers on fire, or evacuations from newly-discovered hazardous waste dumps (like Love Canal). The Potomac River on Loudoun’s northern border is fishable and swimmable and is no longer the open sewer it was 40 years ago. But the environmental challenges and investment requirements continue, as we learned from the lead poisoning of water supplies in Flint, Michigan. Rather than assaulting EPA’s funding and authority, we now need to make EPA more efficient in achieving its mission by relying on those market-based mechanisms that can truly reduce regulatory costs while enhancing environmental benefits. Some notable Republican figures support this course. Recognizing the global warming reality, George Schultz, Henry Paulson, and James Baker have proposed a carbon tax instead of more regulations to reduce CO2 and provide funds to help low income citizens in the process—a proposal causing favorable editorials from both the New York Times and the Washington Post. But all indications point to the Trump team’s preoccupation with deregulation and avoidance of market measures able to enhance environmental benefits and supplement regulations. Forgotten are lessons Republicans learned from the Nixon, Reagan, and Bush experiences: that America’s welfare and “greatness” require respect for the integrity of the Earth and on our capacity to integrate environmental protection into our economic and social policies at home and abroad. That result, along with pursuit of a happy future for our children and grandchildren, requires a revitalized, not a crippled, EPA. Malcolm Baldwin began his career in environmental law in the mid-1960s when he joined The Conservation Foundation and co-authored a book on environmental law. He served in the White House Council on Environmental Quality starting in 1974 and left after serving as acting chairman in the initial months of the Reagan Administration. For the past 15 years of his career he worked and lived in developing countries to help protect their environment. He and his wife Pamela own WeatherLea Farm & Vineyard near Lovettsville.

loudounnow.com

LETTERS >> 42

BY MALCOLM F. BALDWIN

Editor: The time has come to place a Wall of Shame on the main floor of our County Government Center with photographs of the five members of a previous Board of Supervisors, including the current Vice Chairman Ralph Buona, who placed our taxpayers in a tsunami of debt for years to come by voting to be one of the cash cows for the mismanaged and, at times, corrupt D.C. Metro System. Politicians and event planners in D.C. are ecstatic to believe they will now have a metro system speeding tourists and convention attendees to and from Dulles Airport thanks to the boneheaded decision of our gang of five. If all our taxpayers are lucky perhaps all these folks heading to D.C. won’t notice the landscape of our beautiful Loudoun County and won’t decide to relocate here and create the need for more and more schools, police and fire services, and of course more staff for the school system’s castle in Broad-

Saving the EPA

We have an excellent school system in Loudoun, which is an asset to everyone who lives here. The quality of the schools attracts economic development, which increases our property values. Some of the increased funding request is going to improving mental health services to our students. This is to help reduce drug abuse, depression, violence and suicide among students. This is a very deserving need. Another area where funding is needed is increasing the pay of school bus drivers. In past years, the county Board of Supervisors approved many new houses on 1 to 10 acre lots. This type of development eats up agricultural land and natural beauty, and is expensive to provide services such as school transportation, public safety, and road maintenance. Right now the county is short more than 100 bus drivers. The only way to attract drivers is to increase the pay. We also need to increase teacher pay to retain skilled teachers. Many of our teachers cannot afford to live in Loudoun on a teacher’s salary. Loudoun still does not provide fullday kindergarten to all students, one of only three jurisdictions in Virginia that cannot fully fund all-day kindergarten. This is astounding when you consider that Loudoun’s median income is the highest in the U.S. for counties over 65,000 in population. The population of Loudoun County has increased 20 percent between 2010 and 2015. That is a lot of new residents who will need schools, libraries, fire stations, and public safety coverage. Providing these needed services is expensive. Tax money used for education is an investment in the future, because in a few short years these students will be adults. I would much rather see my tax dollars going toward schools than jails, which cost a lot more per capita than education.

Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

<< FROM 40

[ LETTERS ]

loudounnow.com

<< FROM 41 lands and for our county government, which will surely need a new building. There also should be nine empty frames placed on the Wall of Shame for members of the current Board of Supervisors who give away our tax dollars like it is Monopoly money and recently shut the venetian blinds on the minimum transparent peeks taxpayers had of just what is going on with the pending debt for being a member of the Cash Cow compact. Now, after loud protests from taxpayers they are using the age old political game of burying taxpayers with a slew of financial statistics meant to confuse. When will any member of our Board of Supervisors step up and provide our taxpayers with factual information about the Compact debt that will surely result in a booming business for resales in the coming years. — Lou Gros Louis, Landsowne

That Dam issue Editor: I have never been impressed with professionally managed home-owners associations. Home owners entrust to such companies a significant interest in what is likely the largest investment they have in their lives. I am a board member of the Virginia Knolls HOA in Leesburg. It is in the financial interest of the private company that manages the Exeter HOA dam issue to argue about the dam with the town and not to simply deal with it internally. Meanwhile,

there are projects that they will never mention that could save their members many times the cost associated with the maintenance of the dam (which is the bone of contention). When I first became a consulting engineer, I learned how self-interested “professionally” managed HOAs are. I advised condo owners on a 500-unit condominium in Arlington that was managed by a national firm. Their chiller needed replacing and I advised owners that it was the perfect time to consider adding free cooling to the central plant so that low cost (and green) cooling could be done in the spring and fall months that are still warm. The home owners I advised were very excited. However, the management company refused to entertain the idea and they simply replaced the chiller (the easier thing for them to do). Using the reservoir that the dam in contention holds back would be a perfect way to do green heating and cooling in the Exeter homes. They could use it with water source heat pumps in their homes—a low cost alternative to geothermal. If their average heating and cooling bills are $1,500 to $2,000 per year now (a guess—they may be more), they would be lowered by 40 percent on average. The savings for such a conversion (whenever their system needs replacing) would be $650 per year (829 homes) or more $500,000 per year collectively. My advice to Exeter home owners is roll up their sleeves and run the HOA themselves. It may be hard work

at first, but you will be happier in the long run. — Kevin Chisholm, Leesburg

Curbing Abuse Editor: What is animal abuse? Animal abuse is when someone hurts an animal or does not care for an animal responsibly, like not giving your pet food and water. The most common form of dog abuse is either abuse or neglect. There are more than 6,000 cases of dog abuse that occur every year in the U.S. What is domestic violence? Domestic violence is violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner. But did you ever think that the two could be linked? Domestic violence and child abusers may kill, harm or threaten animals to exert dominance and power over their victims and to show them what could happen to them. In addition to causing pain and suffering to the animals, animal abuse can be an indicator and predictor—one of the earliest “red flag” warning signs of concurrent or future violent acts. Animal cruelty is one of the earliest and most dramatic indicators that an individual is developing a pattern of seeking power and control through abuse of others. When animals in a home are abused or neglected, it is a warning sign that others in the household may be in danger. In Loudoun County, we have SAVE—Stop Abuse & Violence Effort. The purpose of Loudoun County Ani-

mal Services’ SAVE program is to facilitate the community’s recognition and understanding of the dynamic connection between animal abuse and the cycle of family and societal violence. “Loudoun County Animal Services’ goal is to combat violence in the home through a multi-discipline approach to ensuring the safety of humans and animals alike by focusing on the important role animals play, not only as victims but also therapeutic mediums teaching empathy and providing familial stability,” as found on loudoun.gov. We need more people and organizations in Loudoun County to help stop animal abuse and domestic violence. If you see a neighbor or a friend abusing their animal you should tell someone. You really never know what goes on in someone’s home life. But it’s always good to look out for red flags. Groups that help support victims of domestic violence are also a really good way to give help to people who are struggling or struggled with these troubles. Adopting an animal that has been abused is also a good way to help out. Just giving a few dollars to local charities will help victims of domestic violence and animal abuse. Many people ‘struggle with this in their home lives. We may not have the power to change the whole world, but we can change the beautiful county we live in. We have the power to make Loudoun County a better, safer county. And we will, one home at a time. — Jessica Whitt, Harmony Middle School

<< FROM 3

krodriguez@loudounnow.com

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In the meantime, the 50-50 share between county and volunteer staff, with career firefighters working the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift and volunteers overnight, takes a financial burden off the overall Loudoun County fire rescue system, saving money that needs to be spent on hiring career staff, said W. Keith Brower Jr., chief of the combined fire-rescue system. But the volunteers that help run the company mean more to the overall system than just financial savings, he emphasized. “It’s not about the money: it’s the service, it’s the community pride, it’s the sense of self fulfillment. It’s way more than just an economic statement,” Brower said. “Who best to serve your community than the people who live in your community?” To that end, the fire company is hoping more people take advantage of a special program that offers free housing at the Loudoun Street station. Volunteer firefighters can live in the station’s quarters rent free, so long as they commit to running two 12-hour shifts per week. It’s not a program that is heavily advertised, Cook said, and many fire companies that have had success with the concept are located in college towns. But Cook thinks

ing on a $4 million expansion to add 10,000 square feet. That project was spurred in the summer of 2015 when the fire company agreed to let the county house its tactical squad in the Plaza Street station, adding four firefighters and apparatus. Design plans were recently approved and construction is expected to begin later this year, with completion in the end of 2018 or beginning of 2019. The future for the Loudoun Street station, where Company 1 is housed, is much less certain. It was almost 10 years ago when that fire station found itself embroiled in controversy over a proposal to build office space on fire company property as a way to generate revenue for the volunteer company. The project was criticized by many Historic District residents for its massing and scale in relation to the surrounding neighborhood. Although the Board of Architectural Review initially denied the Certificate of Appropriateness for the project, an appeal to the Town Council was decided in

favor of the fire company. But it was too little too late. “Those plans have been totally dropped,” Cook said. “By the time we got done fighting all the resistance and all the hoops, we’d missed our window of opportunity.” When the project was first up for consideration, there was a need for more office space in town. But by the time the project won approval, the opposite was true and office space vacancies were on the rise, just as they are today. “That project is dead with no intentions of bringing it up again,” he emphasized. For a long while, the Loudoun Street station was used more as a storage facility. But the uptick in calls put pressure on the Plaza Street station, so the decision was made to bring Company 1 back online with additional manpower to help with the load. Currently, volunteers staff the company four to five nights a week and some weekend days. But Cook believes the county’s fiscal year 2019 budget cycle will bring with it conversations about the need to consistently staff the Loudoun Street station with career and volunteer staff 24/7.

Fire company

LOUDOUN NOW | NEWS |

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company recently reactivated service out of the Loudoun Street station in downtown Leesburg.

43 Feb. 23 – Mar. 1, 2017

Douglas Graham/Loudoun Now

The Leesburg Volunteer Fire Company became Loudoun County’s first fire company in 1803. The company offers rent-free units at its Loudoun Street station for volunteers willing to work two 12-hour shifts per week.

it may appeal to the 20-somethings who are still bunking with mom and dad and are looking for a little more independence without the financial commitment. Five volunteers are taking advantage of the program and there is room for three or four more. “It’s just a creative way to do some additional staffing,” he said. Ultimately, the future for the Loudoun Street station is a lot less certain than its sister station on Plaza Street. Cook points to the county plan, which calls for a new fire station serving the Leesburg South area. The Loudoun Street location is less convenient, as most of the new development in town is going up outside of the Historic District. So whether it is relocated remains to be seen, as it’s all “resident- and convenience-based.” Had the plans for the Loudoun Street station from a decade ago brought with it the office space, it could have been a boon to the fire company’s revenue needs, Cook said. The fire company operates within a $1 million budget. About $800,000 of it comes from Loudoun County and the Town of Leesburg governments, with the fire company picking up the other 20 percent through fundraising efforts. Cook said, for now, the money from the town and the county is enough to cover the fire company’s “needs,” so the fundraising efforts can focus on “wants.” And at the top of the list is something that can’t be assigned a price tag: more volunteer firefighters. “We get good members in the door, but we need incentives to keep them here,” Cook said. The fire company has about 80 operational members, with eight to 10 additional administrative members. Turnover is a concern, Cook said, but his experience has shown that if a volunteer stays for five years, there is a good chance he or she will remain with the company for 15 years or more. “It’s keeping them for five years,” that’s the challenge, Cook said. He said they are fortunate that Loudoun is one of the few counties in the Washington, DC, metro area to offer a monetary retirement plan for its volunteer firefighters, and they also receive a break on personal property taxes for one vehicle per member. But Cook keeps an eye on what other localities throughout the nation are doing to keep volunteers. “Are there other incentives that would be substantially cheaper than paying for additional career staff,” is the question, he said. Looking forward is something the fire company and its chief do quite often. Cook rattles off the many plans the company has on its books: succession planning, a 20-year plan for its apparatus needs, and another long-term plan for its personal protective equipment needs and gear. On its succession planning, Cook said the fire company is in “far better shape than most companies” with many ready to take up the helm as others retire or move on. Cook heaps praise on the Town of Leesburg government and the fire company’s great working relationship with its leadership. That, in and of itself, is a big part of what makes the fire company thrive. “It makes my membership appreciate more what they have, and helps make us as strong as we are,” he said.

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